The Hermiston School Board at its meeting on Monday, March 13, 2023, voted to stop contracting with Mid Columbia Bus Co. and instead use First Student Bus Co. The change will go into effect July 1.

HERMISTON — Mid Columbia Bus Co. has lost another contract to First Student, the nation’s largest provider of student-transportation services.

After Mid Columbia — which in Union County provides bus drivers to schools in La Grande, Union, Cove and North Powder — notably lost bids to First Student in both Pendleton and Stanfield school districts, the Hermiston School District voted to open contract negotiations with First Student on Monday, March 13.

Hermiston School District Superintendent Tricia Mooney said the process for entering contract negotiations begins with a request for proposal from the bus company, which both First Student and Mid Columbia submitted.

“There’s a rubric that’s part of the RFP, and we have six individuals that read the proposals separately and scored each proposal in different areas,” Mooney said. “Out of those scores compiled, First Student was the overall winner, with the highest score in that regard.”

Mooney said the categories in the rubric include cost and fee rates; fleet plan or replacement plan for equipment; quality of maintenance; parent, district and community communication; and the company’s safety program. The final category is a general pass/fail — the ability of the company to meet or exceed the performance goals of the rubric.

Mooney said in Mid Columbia’s proposal, not all the forms were submitted, making it incomplete.

“Because we only had the two companies that submitted proposals, I made the decision to go ahead and read their proposal anyway,” she said.

“Mid Columbia Bus Co. is disappointed that Hermiston School District has made the decision to award the contract to First Student after a 20-year partnership,” Mid Columbia Regional Vice President Michelle Taber said. “Mid Columbia has been a trusted and reliable partner and has only received praise from the district leaders regarding the level of service we are currently providing.”

Taber added the decision to stop using Mid Columbia increases the cost to Hermiston taxpayers by more than $1 million per year and $7.5 million for the term of the contract, adding First Student’s daily per-route cost is nearly double what Mid Columbia proposed.

Regarding the cost, Mooney said at a March 13 school board meeting that the dollar amount listed in the proposal is not the agreed contract amount, as the school district adjusts that as it enters contract negotiations.

Mooney also stated that in Oregon, school-to-home transportation is 70% reimbursable via a state transportation grant.

The contract between Hermiston School District and Mid Columbia is set to run through June 30, with First Student taking over on July 1.

“We hope the Hermiston community and students that we are so deeply invested in do not feel the impact of this significant change,” Taber said.

“We’ve had a great partnership with Mid Columbia, but we’re also excited about the transition and looking forward to being able to provide a quality and safe home-to-school busing program for our students,” Mooney said.