By Debbie Hall
dhall@theenterprise.net
The Patrick County School Board will move forward with two studies following a vote at their meeting Thursday.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued for a transportation study.
Schools Superintendent Bill Sroufe said the RFP was needed if the board determined to move forward with the project, even though the division has identified one vendor.
Sroufe said there may be other vendors. Issuing an RFP would help identify any other interested vendors and ensure the division gets the lowest quote.
The process, he said, will take about three months to complete.
Walter Scott, of the Smith River District, asked if school officials had talked to bus drivers, mechanics and others in the transportation department.
Ronnie Terry, chairman and of the Blue Ridge District, said plans are in the works to discuss the project with those that could be affected.
“It seems that some are under the impression our bus drivers would lose their jobs” if the division moves forward with the project, Terry said. However, “their employment would just roll into another company, basically, the same way it works anytime one company buys another out. They’ll offer insurance” and other benefits like 401 (k) plans.
Additionally, “from preliminary discussions, it looks like they’ll get a little bit more money” in terms of salary, Terry said.
He said a transportation study will show whether the school division and county can save money by selling the bus lease and buses to a professional company.
“If we move forward with the bus deal, the company selected would take over the bus lease that we have now, so the county will save money,” Terry said, adding that the company also would take over the division’s current bus fleet.
“At the point we’re at now, we need another 15 or 20 buses, maybe more. We have buses that are so old that we can’t find parts to repair them. Each would cost about $80,000, depending on size, features” and the like,” Terry said. “We don’t want (this) to scare anybody, because the bus project is going to help us and it’s going to help the county.”
The board also directed Sroufe to issue an RFP for a consolidation study.
“I have no idea how much” that study may cost, Sroufe said.
The RFP will help pinpoint those costs as well as identify potential vendors, Terry said.
The division may not have the funds needed to pay for the consolidation study, officials have said.
“We’re not spending any money yet. RFPs don’t cost anything. They are just more to gain information about what is available and to help pinpoint a path forward. It’s not going to happen immediately, but we’ve got to get ready” in case there are no other options, Terry said.
“We are not spending any money at this point. We’re just looking for options. We’ve just got to make plans,” he said, adding that “consolidation isn’t anything that would happen soon.”
