School Bus Transportation Services

Needham Public Schools is requesting sealed bids for school bus transportation services under IFB #27SCH009G, with bids due June 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM and a pre-bid conference on May 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM. The contract covers three years from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with two optional one-year extensions through June 30, 2031.

Services include round-trip transportation of K–12 students between schools and homes within Needham, late bus routes, inter-school transportation, educational and athletic trips, dispatching, bus maintenance, and emergency replacement vehicles. The estimated requirement is 16 regular buses for 166 days annually when both public and parochial schools are in session, plus additional buses for parochial-only and public school-only days. Bidders must price separately for regular routes, parochial school-only service, public school-only service, late buses, inter-school transportation, educational and athletic trips, spare vehicles, and supplemental sanitizing, using per-bus-per-day or per-mile rates as specified.

Award will go to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on the lowest grand total price over the three-year period; optional year pricing is required but not factored into the award decision. Bidders must demonstrate five years of operation in school bus transportation with a minimum of ten buses currently operated, and must provide certified financial statements from the previous three fiscal years. Drivers will be compensated at prevailing wage rates under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71, Section 7A. Insurance minimums are $1,000,000 per occurrence / $3,000,000 aggregate general liability and $1,000,000 per person / $3,000,000 per occurrence motor vehicle liability.

Bidders must submit one original and two copies of all required forms, including a $5,000 bid deposit as a bid bond or certified check. A performance bond equal to the first year's annual cost is required. A fuel escalation/de-escalation clause adjusts monthly payments based on AAA fuel price reports when prices vary more than $0.05 per gallon from the May 25, 2026 base price. Written questions are due May 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM. The School Committee will award within 90 business days of bid opening. Addendum 1, issued May 22, 2026, clarifies this IFB is a reissuance of prior solicitation #27SCH002G from February 2026 and declines a request to add an alternate bid option for electric school bus services.