Request for Proposals

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Request For Proposals:

Student Transportation Services

Issued By: Middletown City School District
Release Date: May 18, 2026
Proposal Due Date: June 1, 2026 on or before 1 p.m.
Anticipated Award Date: June 22, 2026
Contract Start Date: August 1, 2026

Introduction

The Middletown City School District (“District”) is seeking proposals from qualified student transportation service providers to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation services for eligible students. The selected contractor will operate in accordance with all applicable federal, state of Ohio, and local laws and regulations.

Background

The District currently operates a fleet of school buses and provides transportation services for general education and special education students, including those requiring wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

The District intends to partner with a vendor capable of managing daily operations, staffing, routing, maintenance, and compliance.

Scope of Services

The contractor shall provide comprehensive student transportation services, including but not limited to:

Daily home-to-school and school-to-home transportation
Transportation for students with special needs, including wheelchair services
Field trips and extracurricular transportation (as needed)
Route planning and optimization
Driver and aide staffing, training, and supervision
Fleet maintenance and inspections
Transportation for nonpublic
Compliance with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce regulations
Implementation of safety and behavior management protocols
Only authorized individuals may be transported.

Current Operations

The District currently operates 53 routes utilizing a three-tier routing structure for both morning and afternoon service, and a single-tier routing structure for mid-day service.

The District currently transports:

3,954 Non-Handicapped Public and Community School Students
369 Parochial School Students
323 Special Needs Public School Students

The system operates at a total daily mileage of approximately 3,471 miles.

The contractor shall demonstrate the ability to efficiently manage and optimize this routing structure while maintaining on-time performance and service quality.

Routing and Operations

The Contractor shall:

Develop and maintain District-approved routes
Ensure student ride times do not exceed sixty (60) minutes when feasible
Provide annual routing schedules prior to the start of school
Adjust routes in response to District policy or enrollment changes
Utilize District routing software where applicable
Respond promptly to parent and District concerns

The Contractor will continue to incorporate technology in conjunction with the District including:

Use of tablets on the bus for student ridership and navigation
Student Success Card implementation and distribution
District routing software and SIS integration

Fleet Operations

The Transportation Service Provider will provide a fleet use under this contract with vehicles less than 10 years old. In addition, the Transportation Service Provider will furnish spare buses equal or greater than 10 percent of the number of route buses for both regular and special needs buses. The fleet includes standard, spare (SPARE), and wheelchair-accessible (W/C) buses.

The Contractor shall supply additional buses as required to meet service levels.
Contractor shall provide:

Minimum of five (5) new buses annually
Additional buses as needed for operations

All buses must comply with all federal and Ohio safety standards.
All route buses shall be equipped with:

GPS tracking
Two-way radios
Digital camera systems

System to be completely updated in 2026 for direct video transfer from buses

One Time-Capital Investment Requirement

In lieu of building rent, the District requires the selected contractor to fund the following one-time facility improvements:

DEF Dispensing Station – Estimated Cost: $55,000
Digital Front Monument Sign – Estimated Cost: $65,000
Fueling Station Canopy – Estimated Cost: $120,000

Total Estimated One-Time Investment: $240,000

All improvements shall:

Be funded by the contractor as part of the contract agreement
Be completed in coordination with the District
Utilize contractors selected and approved by the District

These costs shall be the only donation requested of the transportation contractor over the course of the first term of the agreement.

Contract Term

The initial contract term shall be for five (5) years, beginning August 1, 2026, with optional renewal periods subject to Board approval.

Staffing Requirements

The contractor must:

Provide qualified, licensed drivers and aides
Ensure all staff meet Ohio background check requirements
Provide ongoing training in safety, student management, and special needs transportation
Maintain adequate staffing levels to ensure uninterrupted service
Provide required training and annual in-service hours
Conduct drug and alcohol testing in compliance with federal law
Coordinate with the District in terms of training for all staff with particular focus on drivers and bus aides for special needs students.
Provide an office assistant to assist with incorporating technology in all areas of the operation to include but is not limited: bus tablets, Student Success Cards, field trips, seating assignments. This position must also hold a valid CDL and may be used as a substitute bus driver as appropriate.
Increase bus aide salary to a market rate comparable to other districts in the surrounding area to recruit and maintain

The District reserves the right to:

Require removal or reassignment of personnel
Request replacement of key management staff

Cost Proposal

Proposals must be based on historical cost data reflected in the Middletown T-2 C Report (July 14, 2025).

Vendors shall provide:

Annual fixed cost proposal
Cost per route
Cost per mile
Cost per student (if applicable)
Additional service rates (field trips, extracurriculars)

All pricing must be clearly itemized and justified relative to the T-2 C baseline.

District-Provided Costs

The Middletown City School District will be responsible for:

Bus fuel
Transportation facility/building maintenance

There will be no building rental cost included in contractor pricing.

Safety and Compliance

The contractor shall:

Adhere to all state and federal transportation safety standards
Maintain vehicle inspection and maintenance logs
Implement student behavior management procedures
Provide incident reporting and documentation

Performance Standards

The District will evaluate performance based on:

On-time performance
Safety record
Driver retention and training
Parent and school satisfaction
Compliance with routing and service requirements

Proposal Requirements

Proposals must include:

Company background and qualifications
Experience with school district transportation
Staffing plan
Operational plan
Safety and training programs
Cost proposal (aligned to T-2 C Report)
References from similar districts
Proposed Fleet Listing including model year, special needs and spare buses
Minimum $30,000,000 umbrella liability coverage per bus occurrence

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

Cost competitiveness
Experience and qualifications
Operational approach
Safety record
Ability to meet District needs

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted in writing to the attention of:

Eric Sotzing, Business Manager,
Middletown City Schools
1 Donham Plaza, 4th Floor
Middletown, Ohio 45042
On or before 1 p.m., June 1, 2026.
Late submissions will not be accepted.

Terms and Conditions

The District reserves the right to:

Reject any or all proposals
Waive informalities
Request additional information
Negotiate terms with selected vendor

Addendum

Middletown T-2 C Report (July 14, 2025)

Implementation Timeline

Please provide a proposed implementation timeline

Additional Requirements

Contractor must coordinate closely with District administration
Transition plan required for seamless service start
Contractor must demonstrate the ability to operate within a three-tier routing system