Section 4 AAC 27.086 - Competitive pupil transportation proposals(a) All contracts for pupil transportation awarded by a district school board must be based on the competitive proposal process. A request for proposals must, at a minimum, contain the following:(1) a general description of the(A) required service areas;(B) number of routes and runs;(C) number, size, and age limitation of school buses required;(D) approximate mileage to be run; and(E) approximate number of pupils to be transported;(2) contract terms of not less than three years, if feasible, and not more than five years;(3) a statement that the contract is governed by AS 14.09 and this chapter;(4) a statement that if a cancellation or termination of a contract occurs due to deficiencies in performance by the contractor, (A) the district, upon cancellation or termination of the contract, may exercise the district's option to but should be buy or lease from the contractor; and(B) the contractor agrees to sell or lease to the district any or all school buses and spare buses that, as of the date of delivery or the date when the district gives 30 days' notice of cancellation from the district to the contractor, are being used by the contractor for to- and from-school transportation services;(5) any reporting and document submittal requirements, including the tracking of ridership and mileage;(6) a liquidated damage clause due to lack of performance; and(b) The request for proposal for the basic to- and from-school transportation services may include activity bus services and optional equipment if the activity bus services and optional equipment costs are not included in the base costs of the basic to- and from-school transportation services and the request for proposals clearly itemizes contract costs as follows: (1) costs of the basic to- and from-school transportation services required to meet the minimum standards for Alaska school buses adopted by reference under 4 AAC 27.110;(2) costs of activity bus services; those costs must be provided on a cost-per-bus, per-day, per-hour, and per-half-hour basis; and(3) costs of optional equipment; those costs must be provided on a cost-per-bus basis.(c) The district shall ensure that all requests for proposals commence six months before the expiration date of the current contract. Pre-bid conferences shall be held 30 days after the release of the request for proposals. All requests for proposals must be due to the district 14 days after the pre-bid conference and opened on that same day in public at the hour and place stated in the request for proposals.(d) After the district's school board action to offer a transportation contract, and following any board actions on petitions for reconsideration by proposers, the district school board shall forward a copy of the written proposed contract and successful proposal to the department not later than April 15 of the fiscal year preceding the first year of the contract. In addition, a copy of the final signed written contract shall be forwarded to the department not later than the first day of the contract.(e) Notwithstanding (c) of this section, each district with an average daily membership of 4,500 or more shall work with the department to align, bid, and remain on the same five-year term cycle.Eff. 7/25/2014, Register 211Authority:AS 14.07.020
AS 14.07.030
AS 14.07.060
AS 14.09.010