Charter Bus Service

Lake County Schools is seeking to establish a pool of commercial bus transportation service providers through Bid #25-0701-B-KK948 for district-wide field trips, athletic activities, and extracurricular activities. The procurement requires vendors to provide charter bus services using buses manufactured in year 2000 or newer, capable of carrying 16 or more passengers, with functioning air-conditioning and restroom facilities. Vendors must have drivers possessing current Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDL) with passenger endorsements and meet comprehensive compliance requirements including Drug Free Workplace Certification, Conflict of Interest Statement, and Jessica Lunsford Act Compliance Affidavit. Key evaluation criteria will include professional personnel qualifications, ability to meet time and budget requirements, experience, past performance, and references. The bid was posted on July 8, 2025, with questions due by July 11, 2025, and proposals due on July 28, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST through www.myVendorLink.com, with award recommendation anticipated on July 29, 2025, and board action on August 25, 2025.

The contract is structured for an initial three-year term with potential two one-year renewals, targeting vendors capable of serving Lake County's 42,000 students across 51 learning sites. Vendors must provide a current certificate of insurance with $1,000,000 in Auto Liability coverage and demonstrate emergency preparedness with a 24-hour contact number. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the solicitation suggests preference may be given to businesses with drug-free workplace programs. The cost proposal allows for various bus sizes (16-25, 26-49, 50-56, and 57+ passengers) with pricing options for 4-hour and 8-hour minimum trips, multi-day stays, relief drivers, and special event rates. The district emphasizes competitive pricing and will seek multiple quotations for bookings involving two or more charter buses, with the explicit statement that no additional fees beyond submitted rates will be paid. The comprehensive bid package indicates a potential significant contract value, though specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated in the documents.