Big Bus Hike On Table For Lyons Township High

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School joined forces with 10 other school districts earlier this year in bidding out a bus contract.

The districts got just one taker – the current provider, Cincinnati-based First Student. High school officials have referred to the company as the "only game in town."

In a memo this week, Brian Stachacz, the high school's top finance official, lamented the situation.

"Unfortunately, under current circumstances, it would be very difficult for a vendor other than First Student to obtain our business, considering that the start-up costs and other requirements make it very difficult to provide pricing less than what First Student is providing," he said.

In its bid, First Student proposed a 21 percent increase for next year and annual hikes with the rate of inflation for the following four years. Under this proposal, Lyons Township High would see a $400,000 hit to the budget in the first year, officials said.

The school districts are trying to bring down the first year to 12 percent, with annual increases of 5 percent after that.

Stachacz said the schools have no guarantee that the negotiations will be successful.

The Lyons Township High board plans to discuss the issue at its meeting Monday.

Stachacz said he would have a contract to present at a meeting later this month.

In recent years, the high school has complained about the lateness of buses. Until lately, the school had not gone out to bid for the bus contract in nearly two decades.