WRIGHT TWP. — A contract between Rinehimer Bus Lines Inc. and the Crestwood School District that has been in place for more than four decades may — after months of unrest — be renewed again
According to a busing contract signed in 2012 for four years and ending “at the conclusion of the 2015-2016 school year,” the contract would be automatically extended for two years unless one party notified the other in writing.
At the end of the 2015-2015 school year, Scott Henry, owner of Rinehimer Bus Lines, notified the school that he was requesting increased reimbursement in order to move forward with the extension of the contract.
The board, citing a $1.2 million budget deficit, refused Henry’s request for an increase and put out a request for proposals for busing service for the district.
Three bids were received for the service, including one from Rinehimer in which he sought increases of 3 percent in two of the five years of a proposed contract and 5 percent in the last year.
At that point, school board Director Randy Swank, the Transportation Committee chairman, recommended the board go with Historic Hotel Mountain Top Inc., a firm headed by Kevin Foley, a certified public accountant with offices in Kingston.
The business proposed maintaining over the five-year contract the rates that Rinehimer had been charging.
Swank was joined in that vote by directors Joseph Kaminski, Ronald Sturgeon, Albert Miller and Bill Jones.
He said the contract with Foley would result in a $400,000 savings for the district.
Following that meeting, several residents called into question Foley’s ability to train and provide enough drivers for the needs of the district.
One of the persistent allegations against Historic Hotel was that it had only 17 bus drivers who were fully qualified and certified to serve as transporters of students.
On Monday, when the district called a special meeting about bus service for the school year, the decision to go with Historic Hotel was apparently called into question.
Following that meeting, the district issued a press release scheduling another meeting for Thursday, at which time the board will “entertain a motion to enter into a five-year contract with Rinehimer Bus Company to transport Crestwood’s students.”
Swank said, “We spent countless hours doing due diligence, listened to the public concerns and are recommending that Rinehimer be awarded the contract.”
Swank said in the press release that the district has “always been on top of the situation and wanted to ensure that our students have transportation.”
“We recognize that this has been a long and sometimes difficult process,” the press release said. ” we will have an experienced contractor with upgraded buses transporting our students for the upcoming school year.”
Scott and Frank Henry in the office of Frank Henry at Martz Group ————–Fred Adams|for Times Leader5-5-15
http://timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_henry2_faa.jpg
Scott and Frank Henry in the office of Frank Henry at Martz Group ————–Fred Adams|for Times Leader5-5-15
By Geri Gibbons
ggibbons@timesleader.com
Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons.