School Bus Transportation Services

Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) in Walnut, California, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP #2026-041) for school bus transportation services to support the College's academic programs, student services, and intercollegiate athletics throughout the academic year. The procurement seeks qualified school bus providers capable of delivering safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation for single-day excursions, field trips, competitions, conferences, and special events with varying group sizes and destination distances across Southern California. Qualified vendors must maintain a minimum fleet of twenty vehicles, hold valid California Motor Carrier Permits, possess current California Highway Patrol (CHP) Terminal Inspection ratings, employ Class B Commercial Driver's License holders with Passenger and School Bus endorsements, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate Commercial General Liability, $1,000,000 Employer's Liability, and $10,000,000 combined single limit Automobile Liability. The RFP evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: pricing (40 points), safety record and compliance (20 points), experience and references (15 points), proposal quality and narrative (15 points), and local representation with dispatch office availability (10 points). A mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for March 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom, with a Request for Information cutoff of March 30, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., proposals due April 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. through Mt. SAC's eProcurement Portal, optional interviews on May 1, 2026, award recommendation on June 24, 2026, and contract commencement on July 1, 2026. The selected vendor(s) will operate under a five-year contract commencing July 1, 2026, with annual renewal options subject to rate adjustments tied to the LA/Riverside Consumer Price Index.

The RFP documentation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to particular organization types, disadvantaged enterprises, or minority-owned businesses, indicating the procurement is open to all qualified vendors meeting the technical and insurance requirements. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. Contractors must submit comprehensive five-year pricing that includes firm rates for year one with minimum flat rates based on five-hour minimums, excess hourly rates, and per-mile rates for bus capacities of 10, 28, 44, and 55 passengers, plus wheelchair-accessible vehicle upcharges and miscellaneous fees. The sample schedule (FY 2024-2025) documents 130 planned trips with group sizes ranging from 12 to 100 riders, providing prospective bidders with historical data for capacity and cost planning. No specific contract award value or budget range is disclosed in the available procurement documents, though the sample schedule and pricing structure indicate substantial annual transportation requirements across an academic calendar spanning July through June.