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Schools

Seekonk School Committee Accepts Bid from Private Busing Company

Seekonk School Committee voted to accept a bid from Tremblay for Bus Service, saving $406,000 in the first year alone - potentially halving the school department deficit.

The Seekonk School Committee voted to accept a bid at the Tuesday, May 16, meeting from Tremblay's Holding Company, Inc. to allow the business's bus division to transport regular day students and special education students.

School administrators, facing an $810,000 deficit, expressed the necessity to explore all available options to lessen the financial burden avoid raises taxes.

According to Barbara Hamel, the school department finance administrator, the transportation cost is approximately $1,316,901.

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According to school administrators, a contract with Tremblay is approximated at $406,589 – reducing the budget deficit by over 50 percent. Second year savings would be $503,644 and the third-year in the contract would be $547,209.

In totality, the department would be saving $1,457,422 over the course of this three-year period.

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Scott Taveira, the transportation union representative, urged the school committee to take a hard look at the choices set before them. He acknowledged these were difficult times, but felt that this was the wrong choice.

Committee members said the decision is based solely on finances and dire economic straits prompted bid exploration. Also, it was noted by committee that the bus drivers would be given right of first refusal within a new contract, meaning drivers would be offered positions first before the new provider sought outside hires.

Arnold Lee, a bus driver and community resident for 23 years, spoke of his love of the children and the incredible sense of community that was fostered with the kids, drivers and parents.

“What makes me stay here is the sense of community and if you do what you think is right and it’s going to be a dollars and sense issue, that sense of community is going to die,” said Lee, with tears in his eyes.

The next school committee meeting will take place June 6 in the Seekonk High School library at 7pm.

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