By Tracy Ouellette
Staff Writer
The Waterford Graded School District Board of Education will vote Monday night on a recommendation made Jan. 7 by the Personnel and Finance Committee to switch bus companies from S&J Bus Services Inc. to Dousman Transport Co. Inc.
The move comes after the committee reviewed four sealed bids, which were submitted by S&J, Dousman, Lamers and Illinois Central.
The new contract will run for three years.
The school district had requested proposals from three other area bus companies – Thomas Bus Services Inc. of Burlington, Dairyland Buses Inc. of Waukesha, and Hanks Transportation Co. of Mukwonago – but none of those chose to bid.
According to Superintendent Chris Joch, the recommendation to switch companies is mostly a financial one and doesn’t reflect on the service the district has received from S&J through the years.
Joch said the main reasons for the committee’s recommendation were lower overall price of services, cost-saving advantages of using a bus company that services a large portion of the neighboring districts with the possibility of utilizing combined routes and the fact that Dousman has an eye on the “future of transportation,” already offering advancements such as GPS units on buses that S&J does not.
The Waterford Graded School Board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 21, in the Evergreen Elementary School cafeteria.
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