NEEDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492

May 2026

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

TOWN OF NEEDHAM

SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS

School Bus Transportation Services

IFB # 27SCH009G

The Needham Public Schools invite sealed bid proposals for School Bus Transportation Services.

The IFB covers the three-year period beginning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with two optional extensions through June 30, 2031. Invitation for Bid packages will be available from the Office of the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492, or may be downloaded from http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx beginning May 14, 2026, 9:00 AM.

Bids are returnable to the Office of the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492 no later than June 1, 2026 10:00 AM, at which time and place they will be publicly opened. LATE PROPOSALS will not be accepted. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids as determined to be in the interests of the Town and to waive minor informalities.

Bids will be awarded by the Needham School Committee.

Daniel E. Gutekanst Superintendent of Schools Town of Needham Needham, Massachusetts http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx

Needham Public Schools Procurement in Brief

Primary Procurement Contact

Melane Bisbas School Business and Operations Coordinator 1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492 781-455-0400 x 11204 melane_bisbas@needham.k12.ma.us

Event Date Details Title School Bus Transportation Services Contract Number 27SCH009G

IFB Available May 14, 2026, 9:00 AM

Invitation for Bid packages are available from the Office of the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492, or may be downloaded from http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.

aspx.

Bidders who access bid materials from the Town’s website are responsible for acknowledging receipt of those materials using the Acknowledgement of Receipt form found in Appendix G and for checking the website periodically for any addenda that may be issued.*

Pre-Bid Meeting May 19, 2026 10:00 AM

Needham Public Schools Administration Building 1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492

Deadline for Written Questions

May 22, 2026, 12:00 PM

Needham Public Schools will not respond to questions submitted after the above date.

Questions must be submitted in writing, via fax, email or US post to:

Melane Bisbas Needham Public Schools 1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492 Melane_Bisbas@needham.k12.

ma.us Oral communications are not binding on the School Department. Responses to questions submitted in writing will be forwarded to all persons on record as having received the

IFB.

Addenda

If any changes are made to this IFB, an addendum will be issued. Addenda will be mailed or faxed or emailed to all bidders on record as having received the IFB. Addenda also will be posted to the Town of Needham bid website at http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx.

When and Where are Bids Due?

June 1, 2026 10:00 AM LATE PROPOSALS will not be accepted.

Bids are due to the Office of the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, Needham Public Schools, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492 by the due date and time.

If, on the bid due date, the above office is closed due to uncontrolled events such as fire, snow, ice, wind, or building evacuation, the bid opening will be postponed to the next normal business day (M-F, excluding holidays.) Bids will be accepted at the same location until that date and time.

Number of Required Copies One original + 2 copies of all forms

Bid Opening June 1, 2026 10:00 AM

Bids will be publicly opened.

Interested parties are invited to attend the bid opening.

Bid Surety (Bond) Requirements

Required

Contract Award Award will be made within 90 business days after the bid opening.

Contract Length Three Years with Two One-Year Possible Extensions.

Upon Award of Contract

Performance Bond Required Prevailing Wage Required Insurance Refer to Contract Terms

* Bid Acknowledgement It is recommended (but not required) that bidders acknowledge receipt of the bid package using the Acknowledgement of Receipt form found in Appendix G. Bidders who complete and return this acknowledgement will be entered as a bidder of record in the Bid Distribution Register, thereby ensuring that they will receive notification of any addenda or answered questions related to this bid. Bidders who do not complete and return the Acknowledgement Form are responsible for checking the website regularly for any addenda that are issued to this bid.

NEEDHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02492

May 2026

School Bus Transportation Services

INVITATION FOR BID (IFB)

#27SCH009G

I. INFORMATION & INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

1. Questions:

Bidders must read these specifications carefully. Questions about the specifications shall be submitted in writing via email or U.S. post to the address specified below, no later than May 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Needham Public Schools will not respond to questions submitted after that date.

Melane Bisbas School Business and Operations Coordinator Needham Public Schools

1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA 02494 Melane_Bisbas@needham.k12.ma.us

Bidders also take note that ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT BINDING ON THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. The School Department will respond to all questions submitted in writing and will forward responses to all persons on record as having received the IFB.

2. Downloading Bid Documents from the Town of Needham website

Bid documents, including addenda, may be downloaded from the Town of Needham website at http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx. Bidders who access bid materials from the Town’s website are responsible for acknowledging receipt of those bid materials using the Acknowledgement of Receipt form found in Appendix G and for checking the website periodically for any addenda that may be issued.

3. Bid Acknowledgement

It is recommended (but not required) that bidders acknowledge receipt of the bid package using the Acknowledgement of Receipt form found in Appendix G. Bidders who complete and return this form will be recorded in the Bid Distribution Register, thereby ensuring that they will receive notification of any addenda or answered questions related to this bid. Bidders who do not complete and return the Acknowledgement Form are responsible for checking the website regularly for any addenda that are issued to this bid.

4. Bid Addenda

If any changes are made to this IFB, an addendum will be issued. Addenda will be mailed, faxed or emailed to all bidders on record as having received the IFB. Addenda also will be posted to the Town of Needham bid website at http://www.needhamma.gov/bids.aspx.

5. Pre-Bid Conference

A pre-bid will take place on May 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Needham Public Schools Administration Building, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham MA 02492.

6. When and Where are Bids Due?

Bids will be received by the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, Needham Public Schools, 1330 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA 02492, until June 1, 2026 10:00 AM, at which time and place they will be publicly opened.

7. Unexpected Closure or Delays

If, at the time of the scheduled bid submission deadline, the designated location for delivery of the bid is closed due to uncontrollable events such as fire, snow, ice, wind or building evacuation, the bid opening will be postponed to the next normal business day (M-F, excluding holidays at the same designated time.) Bids will be accepted at the same location until that date and time.

8. Late Submissions

Bids received after the date and time specified shall not be considered. The Town of Needham assumes no responsibility for late submissions due to mail, courier or delivery delays.

9. Submission Requirements

A. Bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope, clearly marked with the title of the bid and name of the bidder. If the bid is being sent by U.S. mail, the sealed bid envelope must be enclosed within a separate, sealed mailer envelope.

B. Bids are to be prepared and submitted on the bid forms provided herein. Bids submitted on other forms, which are incomplete, or which are not signed, may be rejected.

C. A bid must be signed as follows: 1) if a bidder is an individual, by him/her personally; 2) if the bidder is a partnership, by the name of the partnership, followed by the signature of each general partner; and 3) if the bidder is a corporation, by the authorized officer, whose signature must be attested to by the Clerk/Secretary of the corporation and the corporate seal affixed.

D. Provide ONE ORIGINAL + 2 COPIES of the following items, completed in full and appropriately signed:

Bid Form I Checklist of Bid Forms Bid Form II Bidder Information & Statement of Qualifications Bid Form III Price Proposal Bid Form IV Bid Form V Bid Form VI

Certificate of Compliance with Massachusetts Tax Laws & Non-Collusion Certificate of Corporate Vote Description of Bus Equipment- Needham Bid Deposit Certified Financial Statements

10. Premature Bid Opening

The Town of Needham will not be responsible for the premature opening of any bid not properly identified. The School Department may reject bids, which are incomplete, not properly endorsed or signed, or which otherwise are contrary to these instructions.

11. Bid Modifications or Withdrawals

Bidders may correct, modify or withdraw a bid prior to the submission deadline. Requests to do so must be received by the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations prior to the time and date set for the bid opening. Bid modifications must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly labeled “Modification No.____.” Each modification must be numbered in sequence, and must reference the original bid.

After the submission deadline, bidders may not change the price or any other provision of the bid in a manner that is prejudicial to the interests of the governmental body or fair competition. The Needham Public Schools will waive minor informalities or allow the bidder to correct them. If a mistake and the intended bid are clearly evident on the face of the bid document, the Needham Public Schools will correct the mistake to reflect the intended correct bid, and will notify the bidder in writing. A bidder may withdraw a bid if a mistake is clearly evident on the face of the bid document but the intended correct bid is not similarly evident.

12. Rejection of Bids

The School Committee of Needham (Committee) reserves the right to reject in whole or in part any and all bids, if the Committee determines that cancellation or rejection serves the best interests of the District.

13. Bid Deposit:

A bid deposit must be included with the Bid, in the form of a bid bond, certified check or cashier's check issued by a responsible bank or trust company in the amount of $5,000, made payable to the Town of Needham. The amount shall function as a bid security until such time as a contract is awarded by the Needham Public Schools. Bid deposits will be returned upon the execution and delivery of a contract, unless no award has been made at the expiration of ninety (90) business days after the opening of the bids. If any bidder fails to perform its agreement to execute a contract, its bid deposit shall become the property of the Town of Needham.

14. Uniform Procurement Act (MGL Ch30B)

Bids shall be prepared, considered, and the Contract awarded in accordance with Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L.) Chapter 30B, the Uniform Procurement Act.

15. Prices Firm for 90 Days

All bid prices submitted in response to this IFB must remain firm for ninety (90) days following the bid opening, until a contract is executed, or the IFB is cancelled, whichever occurs first.

16. Taxes

Purchases made by the Needham Public Schools are exempt from the payment of all federal excise tax and the payment of Commonwealth of Massachusetts sales tax. As such, sales tax must not be included in the bid price. If requested, the School Department will provide the awarded bidder with a copy of the certificate of exemption.

17. Public Records

Under Massachusetts General Laws, the Needham Public Schools cannot assure the confidentiality of any materials or information that may be submitted in response to this Bid. Vendors who choose to submit confidential information, do so at their own risk. All materials submitted by the vendor in response to this Bid will be open for inspection by any person and in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 66 (Public Records Law.) Any statements reserving any confidentiality or privacy rights in the submitted responses or otherwise inconsistent with these statutes will be void and disregarded. Unless specifically addressed by statute, the Town may charge five cents ($0.05) per page for photocopies. The Town may charge the actual cost of reproducing a copy of a record that is not susceptible to ordinary means of reproduction, such as large computer records or over-sized plans. The Town may charge and recover a fee for the time in excess of two hours that an employee spends searching, redacting, photocopying and re-filing a record. The Town will provide a written, good faith estimate of the applicable copying, search time and segregation time fees to be incurred prior to complying with a public records request. The cost of performing a search and segregation of records generally will not exceed $25.00 per hour.

18. Conflict of Interest

By executing a contract in connection with this IFB, the Bidder acknowledges that the Town of Needham is a municipality for the purposes of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 268A (the Massachusetts Conflict of Interest statue), and agrees, as circumstances require, to take actions and to forbear from taking actions so as to be in compliance at all times with the obligations of a contractor based on said statute.

19. Contract Adjustments:

Without invalidating the awarded contracts, the Needham School Committee, at any time, and from time to time, by written order, change, increase or omit any part of the work, or change the Contract, or specifications, or require the company who is awarded the contract (Contractor) to furnish extra equipment or extra labor relating to the work, and the Contractor shall conform to such orders. No change in the work shall be allowed, unless the order is signed by the Needham School Committee.

20. Other Notices

Bid evaluation and contract award will be made without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, religion, political affiliation or national origin.

The Bidder shall adhere to the provisions of the Fair Employment Practices Law of the Commonwealth (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B).

The provisions relating to non-discrimination and affirmative action in employment shall flow through all contracts and subcontracts that the successful Bidder may receive or award as a result of this contract.

Any services provided by the Bidder shall be rendered through a professional services contract; the Bidder will not be considered an employee of the Town and will not receive any benefits of an employee.

The Bidder shall comply with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 66A if the Bidder becomes a "holder" of "personal data". The Bidder shall also protect the physical security and restrict any access to personal or other Town data in the Bidder's possession, or used by the Bidder in the performance of the Contract, which shall include, but is not limited to the Town's public records, documents, files, software, equipment or systems.

II. CONTRACT AWARD & BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

1. Rule for Award/ Contract Issuance:

A. One contract for all transportation services specified herein will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest grand total price over the three-year contract period, July 1, 2026

- June 30, 2029. Bidders must also submit prices for the two optional renewal years, July 1, 2029 - June 30, 2031, although the bid prices for the two option years will not factor into the award decision, and may not increase from the original bid price.

In the event that multiple bidders submit the same grand total bid price, the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations will re-calculate each year’s bid price to determine the net present value of each payment, using a discount factor equal to 5%. The responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest grand total price, in net present value terms, will be named the low bidder.

B. Options to renew the contract for the fourth and fifth years will be at the sole discretion of the

Needham School Committee.

C. Should there be a reason why the contract cannot be awarded within the time referenced herein, the time for award may be extended for up to 45 additional days by mutual agreement between the District and the successful bidder.

D. The School Committee reserves the right to reject any and all proposals as determined to be in the best interest of the District and to waive minor informalities.

E. The successful bidder must enter into the Short Form Agreement prepared by the Town Counsel of the Town of Needham (Appendix A), or a contract in substantially similar format.

F. This Contract is subject to cancellation if funding is not appropriated or otherwise not made available. The Contract may be cancelled at the discretion of either party, with ninety (90) days written notice to the other party.

G. The award will be subject to satisfactory reference checks, conducted by the District.

H. In case of default by the Bidder, the declaration of which shall be at the sole discretion of the

District, the District may procure the services from other sources and the defaulting Bidder shall be liable for any and all costs in excess of the contract price occasioned by or resulting from such default.

2. Contract Adjustments:

Without invalidating the Contract, the Needham School Committee may, at any time, and from time to time, by written order, change, increase or omit any part of the work, or change the Contract, or specifications, or require the company who is awarded the contract (Contractor) to furnish extra equipment or extra labor relating to the work, and the Contractor shall conform to such orders. No change in the work shall be allowed, unless the order is signed by a Needham School Committee representative.

3. Bidder Qualifications:

A. To be considered qualified under this bid:

a. Bidders must provide all services specified herein, and comply with all bid submission requirements.

b. Bidders must provide evidence of satisfactory ability and experience to execute the requirements, specifications, and conditions of this Bid. This information will be provided on Bid Form I. If requested, a bidder may be required to submit additional evidence to demonstrate satisfactory ability and experience to Needham.

B. The District reserves the right to investigate the financial responsibility of any and all bidders to determine what assurance the owner may have of subsequent service. It further reserves the right to withhold contract award when the bidder is unable to furnish satisfactory evidence of adequate ability, experience and/or capital to execute the completion of a project in accordance with the prescribed requirements, specifications and conditions of the Bid Documents.

C. The Contractor may not assign or subcontract, or in any way transfer, any interest in this contract, without the prior written consent of the District.

4. Estimated Quantities:

Unless otherwise stated, the quantities identified herein are ESTIMATES ONLY, given for informational purposes and as a basis for comparison of bids. Actual quantities may be more or less than the estimates provided herein.

III. PURCHASE DESCRIPTION & SCOPE OF SERVICES:

1. General Information

A. This section provides purchase information and scope of services information that are specific to the Needham Public Schools.

B. The bid will cover the provision of School Bus Transportation Services for Needham students, beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2029. The bid may be extended for up to two additional years, solely at the sole discretion of the Needham Public Schools. These services include:

i. Transportation of public school and parochial students, grades K-12, round-trip, between school and their homes or distribution points near their homes, within the Town of Needham, during the school year. (typically 180 days.) This service includes both regular routes and half day services for either public school or parochial students.

ii. Late Buses

iii. Transportation between schools, including transportation to/from before and after-school program sites, as well as the middle school “Bump Up Day” for incoming Freshman. Bump up day is an event for Grade 5 students from Needham’s five elementary schools to visit the High Rock Grade 6 Center, and for Grade 6 students to visit the Pollard Middle School. These visits typically take place on five separate days, for approximately 2.5 hours each day. Two buses are needed each day.

iv. Transportation for educational, athletic, and other student-related trips organized by the Needham School Department, or other Town of Needham Departments.

v. Spare buses and drivers, to replace Needham’s owner-operated buses, as needed.

vi. Morning dispatching services, between 6:30 am - 9:00 am, daily.

vii. Afternoon dispatching services between 1:30 pm - 4:15pm, daily

viii. Scheduled bus evacuations twice per year for each school within the District.

For clarity, this bid excludes bus monitors and summer services.

C. The contract for furnishing school bus transportation services shall include the furnishing of all services necessary and required, including: transportation equipment, maintenance of equipment, operation, cleaning/disinfecting buses, supervision, inspection, registration, licensing, insurance, and conformance to all laws, rules and regulations of the Federal Government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Town of Needham, and the School Committee of the Town of Needham.

D. The successful bidder will be required to obtain and maintain general liability, motor vehicle and

Workmen's Compensation insurance as required by Section III: INSURANCE COVERAGE of this Bid.

E. The successful bidder (Contractor) shall agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Town and School Committee of Needham for any and all claims, losses, costs, expenses or damages of any kind, resulting from or arising out of performance of the contract by the Contractor, its officers, agents or employees.

F. Liability for the Contractor’s personnel while in the performance of duty under this contract shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. The School Committee shall not be held liable for any personnel in the employ of the Contractor.

G. Drivers will be paid at a minimum in accordance with the prevailing wage rate to be paid to operators of motor buses employed under the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 7A, as amended, of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (See Appendix B: Prevailing Wage Rates.)

H. In the event the Contractor is unable to furnish transportation temporarily, the Contractor agrees to provide suitable insured emergency transportation in place thereof, at no additional charge.

Written notice of such emergency substitution shall be provided to the School Transportation Director within 24 hours of occurrence.

I. In the event of a service interruption lasting more than five days on the part of the Contractor, the

School Committee has the right after notification in writing, to secure other such transportation as may be necessary.

J. If at any time, the Contractor does not provide the required number of buses or drivers for any part of the transportation system, the School Committee may deduct the per diem per incident for each bus or driver not provided in accordance with the Contract as liquidated damages.

K. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to determine route mileage and submit estimates based upon typical routes in effect for the 2025-2026 School Year. See attached Appendix C: Sample Needham Bus Routes - 2025-2026.

L. The Contractor will provide and maintain an emergency two-way radio, beeper or cell phone system so that the Town can make contact with the Contractor at all times. The current radios are motorola WAVE radios TLLK100 that operate on a cellular network.

M. The Contractor shall allow only students of the Needham Public Schools with a valid bus pass, or other persons designated by the School Committee, to be transported on the school buses during the normal school runs. Children of the drivers shall not be allowed to ride the bus unless they are students of the Needham School Department and are being transported to or from their school of attendance.

N. The successful bidder must be familiar with the Needham Public Schools Operation Specifications and Expectations listed in Appendix D. These reinforce good management practices on the part of the Contractor and reflect the level of professional standards expected by the Needham Public Schools.

O. Contractors will be required to provide replacement buses and drivers, when a bus owned by the

Needham Public Schools is out of service or otherwise unable to be used for its normal activities.

Needham Public Schools will provide the contractor with no less than 1-hour notice prior to the time the replacement bus is needed. The fee charged by the contractor will be included on Bid Form III.

P. This contract does not preclude Needham Public Schools from: offering public transportation services within the Town of Needham to students; providing school bus transportation services using its own vehicles, or vehicles under its control; entering into contracts with other transportation providers for services outside the scope of this IFB.

2. Garaging of Buses:

A. The Contractor will garage all Needham buses between the opening day and closing day of each school year on Town property at a site or sites designated by the Needham School Committee. The Contractor will assume full responsibility and liability for its buses during this period of time. In addition, the Contractor will work cooperatively with the Town of Needham's Public Works Department to facilitate snow-plowing of the lot where the buses are parked and will move them when requested to do so. The Contractor will be responsible for garaging its buses on property other than Town property from the close of the school year to the opening day of the following school year.

B. The Contractor must have access to sufficient garage/maintenance facilities and mechanics to ensure timely repairs so as not to disrupt transportation services.

C. Buses are currently parked at the Newman Elementary School 1155 Central Avenue, Needham.

The location within the Town of Needham is subject to change. There is no cost to the bidder for parking.

3. Bus Routes:

A. General Information:

i. Bids for the following transportation services are to be listed separately on Bid Form III: School Bus Transportation Bid Prices.

ii. The Needham Schools operate on a 180-day school year, while the parochial schools operate on a 168 or 169-day school year. Since the calendars of the public and parochial schools only partially align, buses provide service on 183 days, including:

166 days when both the public and parochial schools are in session; 3 days when only the parochial schools are in session; and 14 days when the Needham Public Schools only is in session. Bidders take note - since school calendars are set annually, the number of days needed may increase or decrease in each category, at the bid rates specified in Bid Form III.

iii. Bid prices include the cost of an adequate number of spare vehicles and substitute drivers, which shall be available to Needham Public Schools to satisfy the requirements of this bid.

iv. The Contractor agrees to maintain an accurate master clock, and will insure that each driver will have and use an accurate and dependable timepiece that is synchronized to the master clock.

v. Drivers shall adhere to the time schedule set up for their bus route as closely as possible, consistent with the safe operation of the vehicle. This means that they are not required to wait for pupils who are tardy in reaching the scheduled stops.

vi. Drivers are to take on or discharge passengers only at the scheduled pick-up points, as determined by the Needham Transportation Director. If conditions warrant adding additional stops, or changing the location of one or more pick-up points, this information should be communicated to the Needham Transportation Director for his/her consideration and action, relative hereto. At no time shall a driver pick up or drop off at unscheduled locations or make unauthorized stops to pick up or discharge passengers. If a driver picks up or drops off at a location other than a scheduled pick-up point, the Contractor will receive a warning for the first offense. For the second and each subsequent offense, the School Committee will charge the Contractor 1/2 the daily rate in effect at the time of the offense.

vii. All drivers on regular routes must have driven the route on a trial ‘dry run’ basis prior to actually transporting students.

viii. To the maximum extent possible, the same driver will be scheduled to drive both the morning and afternoon runs of a particular bus.

ix. The Contractor agrees that all school bus drivers assigned to educational, athletic, and other student-related trips, shall know and be fully informed as to the safest and most economical route to reach the destination of each and every trip.

B. Transportation of Public School and Parochial Students, Grades K-12, To and From School

a. Regular Routes

i. The proposed bid for the required Needham transportation to and from school is based upon the use of 16 buses, and typical Needham Bus Routes (as described in Appendix

C.) If less or more than 16 buses are required at one time, the contract amount will be adjusted to the number of buses needed at that time based upon the bid cost per bus for that school year.

ii. 2025-2026 School Hours in effect for Needham Transportation:

School:

Start * Close * Early Release

Needham High School

8:00 a.m. M-Th 7:30 a.m F

2:35 p.m. 11:00 a.m.

High Rock School

7:40 a.m. 2:10 p.m. 11:30 a.m.

Pollard Middle School

7:50 a.m. 2:20 p.m. 11:40 a.m.

Broadmeadow, Eliot, Sunita Williams, and Mitchell Elementary Schools

8:20 a.m.

2:45 p.m.

12:15 p.m.

Newman Elementary School

8:45 a.m. 3:10 p.m. 12:40 p.m.

St. Joseph Elementary School

8:00 a.m. 2:40 p.m. 12:15 p.m.

St. Joseph Middle School 8:00 a.m. 2:40 p.m. 12:15 p.m.

iii. The Needham Public Schools’ calendar is set annually by the Needham School Committee and is subject to change from year to year. The approved calendar for FY27 is attached as Appendix F.

iv. Buses shall be on the premises of the school building(s) to deliver children in the morning not later than five (5) minutes before the opening of school, and not earlier than fifteen (15) minutes before the dismissal of school.

v. The Contractor will be informed in advance of any scheduled early release or delayed opening days.

vi. The School Department reserves the right to stagger or change the starting and/or the closing times of schools, or to add additional school days at its sole discretion.

vi. The contracted vehicles shall be available each school day for the length of time required to provide round-trip student transportation, between school and students’ homes, or to points of distribution within the Town of Needham, as determined by Needham Public Schools. This service includes both regular routes and half-day services for either public school or parochial students.

The round-trip service should run in the morning from the first student pick-up to the last student drop-off at school, and in the afternoon from the first student pick-up at school to the last student drop-off.

vii. The Needham School Committee may decide to provide transportation of students to daycare or other programs. If additional bus(es) are required, the Contractor will provide these buses at the same cost as other buses under the terms of the contract originally awarded.

viii. The Needham Public Schools may implement a delayed opening and/or early release of school policy during periods of inclement weather. The Contractor will provide bus service under these conditions and during periods of inclement weather generally at no additional cost to the Needham Public Schools.

C. Late Bus Routes

i. Late bus routes may be added during the term of the contract.

ii. Prices for late bus routes are to be listed separately on Bid Form III, based upon the price per bus per day.

D. Transportation Between Schools

i. Children often travel between schools to attend programs located at another school site, or for special events. It is Needham Public Schools’ expectation that such travel be worked into the regular K-12 bus routes (described in II.3.B), to the extent possible, at no additional charge to the District. However, if an additional bus (or buses) are required to provide such inter-school transportation, the contract amount will be adjusted to reflect the additional buses needed at that time, based upon the bid price per bus per day for Other Inter-School Transportation, listed separately on Bid Form III.

E. Educational, Athletic and Other Student-Related Trips

i. Prices for educational, athletic and other student-related trips, are to be listed separately on Bid Form III, based upon round-trip mileage and driver time from point of origin to destination and return to point of origin. Mileage does not include travel to or from the garaging area. The Bid will specify the hourly allowances for the driver's waiting time.

ii. Attempts are made to schedule trips so as not to conflict with the regular school transportation contract.

iii. Bus capacities for educational or athletic trips will be consistent with those listed on the exterior of the bus. Those capacities will be determined in accordance with current State regulations.

iv. Needham Public Schools will permit the Contractor to assess a minimum charge for trips of less than 10 miles, or one way trips without wait time.

4. Communication

A. The School Committee will provide drivers and the Contractor’s Supervisor / Dispatcher with portable communication radios. Needham Public Schools requires all drivers, including substitutes, to carry, operate and secure the radios in accordance with procedures established by the Committee and by law, including the 2010 amendment to MGL Chapter 90, 12A, effective September 30, 2010.

B. If at any time, the Contractor’s personnel do not carry the radios, the School Committee may deduct half the per diem per incident for each bus or driver as liquidated damages.

5. Vehicle Specifications

A. The Contractor shall use vehicles, which shall be constructed, equipped and maintained in conformance with all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The attention of all concerned is particularly directed to the following sections of Chapter 90 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

Section 1: Definitions Section 1A: Registration of Motor Vehicles, Liability Insurance, Certificate Accompanying

Application, Failure to Maintain; Revocation of Certificate of Registration;

Exemptions; School Buses

Section 7A: Rules and Regulations for Periodic Inspections of Motor Vehicles; School Buses;

Fees

Section 7B: Equipment and Operation of School Buses Section 7C: Minimum Standards for Construction and Equipment of School Buses Section 14: Precautions for Safety of Other Travelers Section 17: Speed Limits

B. All buses, including spare buses, must be equipped with 28" high-backed, padded, "New York" style seats.

C. No buses, including spare buses used in the performance of this contract, shall be more than eight

(8) years old during the life of the contract, age being determined by the day of original delivery to the first owner who is not an agent of the manufacturer, nor have more than 150,000 miles on its odometer at any time during the life of this contract.

D. All buses shall be school bus yellow. All buses must be kept clean and neat at all times and must be heated when necessary and provided with proper ventilation. All buses shall have a capacity of seventy-seven (77) passengers. All buses shall be equipped with stop signal arms, a minimum of four (4) alarmed, push-out emergency windows, two roof hatches, plywood floors, heated mirrors, and "3M" reflective diamond tape. Each bus shall be marked on the outside with the number of pupils who may be transported therein with the total capacity of each bus figured in accordance with state regulations.

E. The Contractor shall keep all buses in good running order and condition and shall furnish all necessary fuel (diesel, petroleum, or electricity) , oil, grease, tires, maintenance and repairs during the entire term of the contract.

F. The Contractor agrees to have drivers make all required pre-trip and post-trip daily inspections of the buses to ensure the buses are in good running order.

G. The Contractor will provide for the regular cleaning of its buses as well as disinfecting during Pandemic-type state of emergency declarations, to a standard acceptable to the District.

H. The Committee reserves the right to require, at the Contractor's expense, a certificate of inspection at any time for one or all of the school buses under this contract from a garage of the Committee's choosing. The certificate of inspection shall state the condition of the brakes, lights, horns, mufflers, steering gear, windshield cleaners, doors, tires, windows, chassis, bodies, STOP signal arms and seats and any and all other parts of a school bus that contribute to its safe operation. The Contractor further agrees that if any part or parts of any school bus are found to be faulty or unsafe, the bus shall be taken out of service and shall be repaired, replaced or restored immediately.

I. Prior to the opening day of school of each year, the Contractor shall file annually with the

Committee an updated copy of Bid Form VI: Description of Bus Equipment for all buses, including spares, which will be used in performance of this contract. No substitution (other than to cover temporary emergencies) may be made throughout the life of the Contract without the prior approval of the Committee.

J. In the event of a breakdown or other emergencies, which interrupt regular daily service, the

Contractor must be able to provide, to the location of the breakdown, a suitable replacement vehicle and operating within twenty (20) minutes of notification of said breakdown or emergency.

K. In accordance with 7B Chapter 90, the Contractor will conduct two (2) on-bus evacuation drills for each school year. The Contractor will provide the number of buses and drivers deemed necessary by the Transportation Director of the Needham Public Schools for the purpose of school bus evacuation drills. There will be no charge for this service. The date for evacuation drills at each school will be scheduled by the School Transportation Director and are generally in October and April.

L. The Contractor agrees to make all buses used in the performance of this Contract, including spare buses, available for inspection by the School Transportation Director one week prior to the start of each school year.

M. The Contractor must report all cases of vandalism in writing to the Transportation Director within two (2) hours of a morning incident or by the opening of school the following day for afternoon incidents. Interior or exterior damages shall be repaired immediately with the Contractor assuming all costs. The Contractor may attempt to recover losses for vandalism from private parties (including students) by working through the school principal and the Transportation Director.

Student transportation privileges may only be suspended by Needham Public Schools.

N. Each bus shall prominently display a number or letter printed in black, six inches high, immediately to the left of the entrance door, and on the front bumper.

O. The Contractor’s vehicles shall be equipment with GPS functionality.

P. Needham Public Schools reserves the right to install cameras on the contractor’s vehicles at any time during the term of the contract(s) resulting from this IFB.

6. Contractor’s Personnel

All the Contractors’ personnel used in connection with this contract must abide by the Needham Public Schools Operation Specifications and Expectations listed in Appendix D. These standards reinforce good management practices on the part of the Contractor and reflect the level of professional standards expected by the Needham Public Schools.

A. Drivers

a. The Contractor shall furnish fully trained and properly licensed drivers to operate buses used in carrying out the transportation services provided for under the terms of this contract. The Contractor also shall maintain an adequate number of substitute drivers to be called upon in an emergency.

b. The Committee will investigate all drivers and potential drivers, including substitutes, through the Criminal History System Board Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and the Sexual Offender Registry Information (SORI.) In addition, drivers are required to submit to a fingerprint background check at the driver’s expense before beginning work with Needham Public Schools as the named recipient of the test results.

c. Additionally, the Contractor shall (at no cost to the Town) require each driver to participate in the contractor’s random drug and alcohol testing program. Further the School Department reserves the right to require any operator to undergo drug or alcohol testing at Needham’s expense, or be physically examined by a doctor of medicine selected by the Office of the Superintendent. The medical examination will be at the Contractor’s sole expense.

d. Needham Public Schools maintains a zero-tolerance standard for drug and alcohol use. The

School Department reserves the right to reject any driver who fails the random drug or alcohol test.

e. The Contractor shall submit the following information to the Superintendent by September 1 of each year for all drivers, including substitutes, who will provide service under this Bid. The Contractor also will provide this information for any new driver or substitute hired after September 1.

i. Name, address, date of birth and last four digits of the social security number

ii. Photocopy of valid Commercial Driver’s License

iii. An attestation of the driver’s participation in the random drug and alcohol testing program

iv. Documentation of driver training

v. Pre-filled CORI request forms for every driver, potential driver or substitute.

The Needham Public Schools will conduct the investigations, and retain all reports. See Appendix E for CORI.

vi. Results of fingerprint background check. These results must be sent directly to Needham by the testing agency.

e. Each driver will comply with all State laws, including General Laws and regulations of the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Registry of Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Public Utilities applicable to school bus operations.

f. Drivers will be paid at a minimum in accordance with the prevailing wage rate to be paid to operators of motor buses employed under the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 7A, as amended, of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prevailing rates are attached as Appendix B.

g. Drivers will not smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars or any other type of smoking product in or around the vehicle, or on school grounds.

h. Drivers are not permitted to use mobile devices, of any kind, for any purpose, while operating a bus and transporting children, unless such use is in the performance of the driver's official duties.

i. Drivers shall comply with all reasonable regulations set forth by the School Department covering the conduct of pupils on the bus.

j. Drivers will not take disciplinary actions against any child, nor act to unilaterally remove a child from a bus. Cases, which warrant such action, shall be reported immediately to the Transportation Director. Nothing herein shall prevent a driver from reprimanding a child for action that might cause harm to himself or others.

k. All drivers used in connection with this contract are required to meet periodically with the

School Transportation Director and/or the Needham driver group. These meetings will occur at a time and place designated by the School Transportation Director. There will be no additional charge for this service.

l. Drivers will not leave a bus unattended when children are in a bus. In an emergency, the driver’s first concern must be for the safety of the children.

m. Buses are not allowed to pass other buses that are in the process of loading and unloading students on school grounds or at any other time.

n. Drivers are prohibited from offering food, including any type of candy or gum or beverage, to students.

o. The School Department reserves the right to accept or reject any or all drivers if it is deemed in the best interests of the Town of Needham to do so.

B. Contractor's Supervisor and Dispatcher

a. The Contractor agrees to designate an employee as Supervisor and an employee as Dispatcher.

(These functions may be combined within a single position.) The Supervisor and Dispatcher shall have complete charge and responsibility for carrying out and enforcing the Contractor's obligations and responsibilities of this contract on a day-to-day basis. The Contractor agrees that the Supervisor and Dispatcher will work under the supervision of and in harmony with the School Transportation Director to insure safe, timely, economical and efficient transportation of the students. The Supervisor and Dispatcher must be approved annually by the Transportation Director.

b. The School Committee will provide office space for the Supervisor and Dispatcher in the

Needham Public Schools Transportation Office 1330 Highland Avenue Needham, MA. This office space may be shared space with other employees.

c. The Supervisor/Dispatcher must be onsite daily from 6:30-9:00 am for the morning roll call and dispatching duties and from 1:30 pm -4:15 pm for dispatching duties related to afternoon runs. During this period, the Supervisor/Dispatcher may not operate a vehicle. After 9:00 am, the Supervisor/Dispatcher is not required to be onsite, but must be accessible to meet with the Transportation Director as required and must be accessible by phone or radio during times the buses are in operation.

d. Needham Public Schools and the vendor will jointly agree to all routes prior to bus passes being issued annually to students. It is the intention of the Needham Public Schools that the vendor would receive completed routes for comment, rather than joint development of the routes.

C. Safety Training Officer

a. The Contractor agrees to designate one employee as a School Bus Driver Safety Training officer. The Training Officer must be a Certified Instructor, and shall be responsible for the training of all new school bus drivers, with or without previous school bus driving experience, in accordance with the specifications found elsewhere in this contract and the procedures established by the Contractor. The School Bus Safety Training Officer also shall ride with every first year driver (including substitute drivers) not less than twice per year, and every other driver at least once per year, for the purpose of observing their driving practices with respect to safety, mechanical operation, conformance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and adherence to established time schedules. Reports of these safety procedures shall be submitted semiannually to the School Transportation Director. The School Bus Safety Training Officer may be assigned other duties by the Contractor provided that such duties shall not interfere or impede his/her prime responsibilities as School Bus Safety Training Officer. The School Bus Safety Training Officer will provide specific training as required by the School Transportation Director.

b. The Contractor agrees that the School Bus Training Officer will work under the supervision of and in harmony with the School Transportation Director.

7. Reporting Of Accidents

The Contractor shall immediately report to the School Transportation Director or the Superintendent of Schools, each and every accident or any other incident or circumstance which causes unavoidable delay, or in any way interferes with the strict performance of this contract. A written account must be submitted to the School Transportation Director within twenty-four (24) hours following any accident and may be required for any or all incidents or circumstances. Additionally, a police report must be submitted to the School Transportation Director in the event of any accident involved in the performance of this contract.

8. Operational Specifications

The School Department has adopted the Operational Specifications and Expectations set forth in Appendix D. Appendix D is thereby incorporated into and is part of this Agreement.

IV. INSURANCE COVERAGE

1. The Contractor shall carry and furnish evidence of general liability and motor vehicle liability insurance policies protecting the Town in connection with any operations included in this Contract, and shall have the Town as an additional insured on the policies. Coverage shall be in force during the entire contract period, in the following amounts: General liability coverage shall be in the amount of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate for bodily injury liability and $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate for property damage liability. Motor vehicle coverage shall include coverage for owned, hired and non-owned vehicles and shall be in the amount of at least $1,000,000 per person and $3,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury liability and $1,000,000 per occurrence for property damage liability.