NAMPA, ID — It was a packed house at the Nampa School District building on Tuesday where the Board of Trustees heard Brown Bus’s objection to the district awarding its transportation contract to a competing bidder, First Student Buses.
Brown Bus Company has serviced the Nampa School District for 64 years. Dozens and dozens of Brown Bus School bus employees packed the hearing room, overflow section, and the hallways of the building.
At issue, two items — one had to do with the cost of the bid, and the other had to do with a blank on the bid sheet concerning shuttle service. After testimony and a question and answer period, the board went into executive session and came back with their decision — which was to affirm the district's switch to a new bus carrier.
The school board said that “First Student” highlights their commitment to attracting and retaining drivers for the Nampa School District. To achieve this, the company says they offer a $1500 sign-on bonus for drivers.
Additionally, with the district’s new 4-day school week, First Student will pay drivers for 5 days of work per week for up to 180 days per year.
With over 100 years of experience across over 1,300 school districts, First Student was chosen through the request for proposal process.
The Nampa School District and First Student will begin work soon to ensure the transportation system is fully operational before the start of the school year. The district also plans to introduce an app that will allow parents to see things such as when their child’s bus is on the way, leaving school, or might be late for any reason.
In a press release, the Nampa School District thanked the Brown Bus Company for the years of dedicated service.
