School Bus Contracting

Enjoy the benefits of a partnership with Cardinal Buses.

How School Bus Contracting Works

Partnering With Cardinal/GO Riteway

School transportation can pose a major challenge for administrators and educators — especially when it comes to logistics. When you outsource student transportation to a private company, your education team can redirect their resources and energy to their core function: education. This is why so many schools have chosen school bus contracting with our team. In almost all cases, outsourcing student transportation has been highly successful. Administrators are able to maintain control of transportation through contract stipulations while prioritizing other vital tasks. To learn more about school bus contracting, contact our team.

Why do districts choose to contract?

The reasons that districts consider contracted transportation vary, but often fall into one of the following categories:

district
District

Funding is not available to upgrade aged district fleets.

costs
Costs

Budgets can no longer keep up with transportation cost increases.

Inefficiencies

Overextended resources and scheduling difficulties arise from system inefficiencies.

Bylaws

The system is challenged by additional responsibilities or federal, state, or administrative changes.

Administrative

Transportation falls on the back burner to administrative headaches that demand time and attention.

Outsourcing can solve any and all of these problems. Enjoy school bus service that prioritizes efficency and economy while maintaining the highest levels of safety and reliability. Just as school districts are experts at providing education, private school bus companies are experts at providing pupil transportation.

Frequently Asked Questions: School Bus Contracting

All drivers, public or private, are equally qualified and must meet the same state and federal licensing standards to drive a school bus in their state.

Private contractors use the highest standards required, meeting or exceeding state wide training standards as they operate. Many school districts have limited resources and therefore use the minimum ‘required only’ training.

Private contractors hire existing local district school bus drivers and local residents, who pay taxes and often have children attending local schools. Both district and contractor drivers are devoted to the safe transportation of children every day.

Private contractors set the highest preventative maintenance standards for their fleets. Both private contractor and district school buses must meet the same maintenance standards set by their respective states. 

On average, private contractor fleets are newer than district fleets due to the utilization of industry lifecycle replacement schedules for their vehicles. District fleet replacement is usually subject to budget constraints, BOE approval, and/or voter approval. As a result, districts often experience difficulty in maintaining a replacement schedule.

Private contracting eliminates the district’s’ labor management issues. Private contractors must provide services based on the standards set by the district in the contract agreement. When a district contracts for services, they no longer have to deal with employee contract negotiations and grievances. They can have a contracted driver removed from their district at any time for any justifiable reason. Many Superintendents have stated they have ‘fewer headaches’ with contracted transportation services and can devote their time on educational issues.

Could Cardinal Be the Right Fit?

Contracted bus services can provide your school district peace of mind. Get in touch with just a few details about your transportation needs for a free and easy quote.