Contentious Salem Schools Bus Contract Up For Vote Friday

SALEM, MA – The Salem School Committee will hold a special public meeting Friday afternoon to discuss and vote on the proposed school transportation contract for the next three years.

While the union that represents 22 district employees who drive and monitor routes for special education students in the current hybrid system is happy to have a public forum on the contract, there are concerns that it may be too late to save the district jobs that face elimination if the district awards one private company a contract for all transportation.

"If this passes, 22 jobs with good wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits will be gone and will be replaced by a for-profit corporation whose bottom line is more important than the needs of Salem Public Schools," John Killoy, AFSCME Council 93 assistant communication and legislation director, told Patch. "Enough is enough. Salem's public school children, parents, taxpayers, and school transportation workers deserve better."

The special School Committee meeting will be held virtually with those wishing to participate in the public comment session able to do so here.

NRT Bus Inc. runs a portion of bus routes in the city in the hybrid system, but the contract is for one company to take over all transportation, including field trips, athletic events and the routes for special needs students. Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike said a request for proposal was put out earlier this year so the district could see the difference between awarding all the bussing to one company vs. maintaining the current setup.

He said that based on the NRT bid — the only one the district received — the district would save about $1 million over five years through awarding all the routes to one company.

But School Committee member Jim Fleming, who said he has been pushing for a more public process in awarding the next three-year deal, told Patch he believes that number is closer to $700,000. He added that in the long run, it could cost the district more to consolidate the contract.

"You know what happens in these situations if we give away our bus fleet," Fleming told Patch on Wednesday. "We'll lose our drivers, monitors and everyone that comes with it. And three years from now we'll have to renegotiate with this company, or another company, and they'll have us over a barrel."

Fleming told Patch that since NRT was the only company that bid on the contract it could be considered a "non-responsive" bidding process and reopened.

Yet, he acknowledged it will likely be an uphill climb on Friday to keep the current hybrid system and save the 22 positions.

"It's very unfair — especially to the 22 people it's affecting," Fleming said. "We made a contract with that union years ago that certain jobs are theirs and we should honor that.

"These people it’s affecting average 12 to 13 years with the district. It's unfair to them."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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