Union Hopes To Hit Brakes On New Salem Bus Contract

SALEM, MA — The union representing 22 school department employees who drive or monitor bus routes for the district is calling for more public input and transparency into the city's efforts to contract all bus routes out through a private company.

Calling Salem's current setup a "unique, hybrid situation," John Killoy, the communications and legislative director for AFSCME Council 93, which represents the school employees, said the union was left in the dark when the district put the whole contract out to the bid. He told Patch he is especially concerned now that only NRT Bus Inc., which currently shares the routes with the school employees, was the only bidder.

"That the whole thing was put out to bid was shocking," Killoy told Patch on Tuesday, "but even more so was that there was no public input."

NRT Bus Inc. runs eight bus routes in the city, but the contract is for one company to take over all transportation, including field trips, athletic events and the routes for special needs students, whom Killoy said will be harmed if transferred from trusted school employees to a private company with the potential for high turnover rates.

"This is unique and confusing to us, honestly," Killoy told Patch. "We think the public should have a say."

The biggest concern being, according to Killoy, that because there was only one bidder that company could automatically get the contract without any public discourse on what's best for affected students.

Superintendent of Schools Steve Zrike told the Salem Evening News this week that a request for proposal was put out earlier this year so the district could determine the difference between awarding all the bussing to one company vs. maintaining the current setup. He told the paper that based on the bid the district would save $1 million over five years through awarding the full contract to NRT.

Killoy said it is important the School Committee get a chance to weigh in during a public conversation before any changes are finalized to the current setup.

"The School Committee — that's their job to look after the children they represent," Killoy said. "To think they don't have a say is concerning."

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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.)