BID 2027-003: BOE Transportation Services

Bethel Board of Education in Connecticut is soliciting proposals under BID 2027-003 for school transportation services, with vendor questions due November 16, 2026 and proposals due December 8, 2026. All vendors are eligible to respond.

The five-year contract runs July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032. Proposers may bid on one or both of two categories. Category 1 covers regular home-to-school transportation using Type I buses with capacity for more than 70 passengers, plus late runs and field and athletic trips. Category 2 covers special education, preschool, Community Partnership Program, and Cooperative Educational Services transportation using Type II vehicles, student transportation vehicles (STVs), and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. The estimated fleet includes 24 Type I buses, 9 Type II vehicles (at least 2 wheelchair-accessible), 1 STV, 4 spare Type I buses, and 1 spare Type II vehicle. Vehicles must be no more than ten years old, with average fleet age not exceeding seven years. Service spans three tiers of runs across approximately 181 school days annually, though Attachment G lists 186 student instructional days for 2027-2028. Proposers must comply with Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and state education regulations.

Proposal pricing must exclude fuel and federal and state taxes, because the Board supplies diesel, gasoline, and propane through an approved vendor. Fuel storage and installation at a new depot will be evaluated as a separate line item. Bid security equals 10 percent of the proposer's total first-year price. The Board may require a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the projected annual contract cost, listed separately on bid forms; if required, the Board pays that cost. Proposers must maintain $5 million primary automobile liability and $10 million umbrella coverage. The contract is contingent on appropriation of sufficient funds by the Town of Bethel. Delivery terms are Free On Board Destination.

The RFQ/RFP encourages proposers to employ the current contractor's drivers, who are represented by United Service Workers Local 455. Evaluation centers on safe, reliable, on-time service, dependable route coverage, and competitive pricing.

An optional information session is scheduled for November 12, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. via Google Meet. Questions are due November 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. EST. Proposals are due December 8, 2026 at 9:45 a.m. EST, with public opening at 10:00 a.m. at the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center in Bethel. Award is anticipated December 17, 2026. Submit three hard copies and one electronic copy on a USB flash drive, acknowledge all addenda, complete required disclosure forms, and provide references from similar school transportation contracts. Direct inquiries to Krista DeOliveira, Transportation Services Coordinator, at 203-794-8514 or deoliveirak@bethel-ct.gov.