Public Notice Request for Proposals for Supplemental Pupil Transportation For the 2026-27 School Year White Plains City School District 5 Homeside Lane White Plains, NY 10605 The White Plains City School District invites sealed proposals for providing supplemental Out of District (OOD) pupil transportation services during the 2026-27 school year for: (1) the out of district school routes listed in Appendix A using small buses/vans (18/20 & 28/30 pupil capacity), and/or wheelchair buses during the regular academic school year (September to June), which includes late runs/routes for after school activities and events. The Board of Education of White Plains City School District reserves the right to award contracts to multiple contractors for each type of transportation service solicited (to and from schools regular school year) or to award contracts to multiple contractors based on the type of bus/van to be provided, small buses/vans [18/20 & 28/30 pupil capacity], and wheelchair buses or to award the transportation contracts to a single contractor however the Board of Education determines best meets the needs of the School District. The Request for Proposals including forms for proposal, certifications, instructions, conditions, and specifications may be obtained from the Business Office of White Plains City School District at 5 Homeside Lane, White Plains, New York between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. In addition, the Request for Proposals documents will be available through BidNet and may be accessed at/downloaded from the School District’s Purchasing Office webpage (https://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/district-offices/purchasing/rfps-bids-quotes). In all cases, it must be understood that the terms, instructions, conditions, specifications and other requirements set forth in the Request for Proposals issued by the School District shall apply. Sealed proposals shall be sent or delivered to the Business Office of White Plains City School District and shall be clearly marked “Proposal for Supplemental Pupil Transportation - Do Not Open Until 11:00 a.m. on June 8, 2026.” Such proposals will be received until 11:00 a.m. on June 8, 2026. Proposers assume the risk of any delay in the mail or by means of personal delivery, including any mishandling of mail and/or deliveries by employees of the School District. Proposers have sole responsibility for having their proposals deposited on time at the place specified. The School District reserves the right to cancel this RFP and issue a new RFP, to reject any and all proposals, to waive what it deems proposal informalities or technicalities relating to a specific proposal received, to seek additional information or clarification from any proposer, to invite new proposals, to accept the whole or part of a proposal, or to accept parts of proposals from more than one proposer, as in the Board of Education’s judgment, it determines the best interests of the White Plains City School District will be served. The School District reserves the right in an Addendum to change the date, time and location for the submission of proposals. If it does so, the new date shall be used when marking sealed proposals for submission. Whether or not the submission date is changed through an Addendum, if the Business Office is closed on the last date on which proposals may be submitted, proposals will be accepted until 11:00 a.m. on the next business day on which the Business Office is open. Proposals for each route individually and collectively will be evaluated based on the weighted system established by the School District for each of the categories to be reviewed. Any aspects of the service not addressed by the terms, instructions, conditions, specifications, and other requirements of the Request for Proposals issued by the White Plains City School District are left for the Proposer to address. When a school district elects to receive proposals submitted in response to a request for proposals, such school district shall evaluate each proposal from a responding Contractor according to criteria established by the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Education, which criteria shall include at a minimum: (i) the previous experience of the Contractor in transporting pupils, (ii) the name of each transportation company the Contractor has been an owner or manager and previous experience, (iii) a description of any safety program implemented by the Contractor, (iv) a record of accidents in motor vehicles under the control of the Contractor, (v) driving history of employees of the Contractor, (vi) inspection records and model year of the motor vehicles under the control of the Contractor, (vii) maintenance schedule of the motor vehicles under the control of the Contractor, (viii) a financial analysis of the contractor; (ix) compliance with insurance requirements, and (x) total cost of the proposal. Proposals will be evaluated and awarded based on the following criteria established by the White Plains City School District pursuant to Sections 305 and 3625 of the Education Law and Section 156.12 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education (8 NYCRR 156.12). Proposals scoring less than 75 points will not be considered for an award of a contract. Category Weight 1. Previous Quality of Experience of the Proposer in School Transportation 10 2. Name of each Additional Transportation Company in which Proposer is or has been an Owner or a Manager and the Proposer’s Previous Experience 5 with such Transportation Companies 3. Safety Program 5 4. Accident History 5 5. Record of Drivers 5 6. Fleet Inspection Record and Vehicle Replacement Schedule 10 7. Maintenance Schedule of Vehicles under the control of Proposer 5 8. Financial Analysis of Proposer 5 9. Compliance with Insurance Requirements 10 10. Cost 40 Total 100 The New York State Commissioner of Education may reject any award of a transportation contract by a school district that is based on an evaluation of proposals submitted in response to a request for proposals if the Commissioner finds that (1) the contractor is not responsive to the request for proposal, or (2) the proposal is not in the best interests of the school district. Security in the form of a proposal bond or certified check payable to the White Plains City School District in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the proposed cost of providing all transportation services for which a proposal is being submitted is required to be submitted with the proposal. A performance and payment bond in a sum equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the annual amount of each contract awarded will be required as set forth in the Request for Proposals. Dr. Ann Vaccaro-Teich, CPA Assistant Superintendent for Business White Plains City School District 5 Homeside Lane, White Plains, NY 10605 12336356
