Bus Firm Has Leverage Over La Grange-Area Schools

LA GRANGE, IL – The bus firm for La Grange-area schools wants a 21 percent increase next school year.

It'll likely happen.

School officials acknowledge that the company, Cincinnati-based First Student, holds many of the cards in the negotiations.

The company's area depot is in neighboring Hodgkins, where officials say 100 buses are housed.

Many local schools' bus routes are paired. For instance, a driver can work a route for one school and then proceed to a route in another district. That cuts schools' costs in half.

A key factor driving the cost hikes over the last few years is increased pay for drivers. Bus firms have had to bid up wages for recruitment.

Earlier this year, 11 area school districts, including Lyons Township High School, went out to bid together for bus service.

First Student was the only bidder, asking for a 21 percent hike in the first year and annual increases at the inflation rate for the following four years.

At Monday's Lyons Township High School board meeting, Brian Stachacz, the school's top finance official, said it was frustrating that only one company bid, but unsurprising.

"It would be very difficult for a company to come in and then outbid First Student when they have start-up costs that would be rather high," he said. "You would have to acquire 100 buses or you would have 100 buses lying around, which bus companies don't do."

As for the 21 percent hike, Stachacz said, "We had kind of known that was going to happen because of market conditions. When you don't have that much competition, then that can happen."

Board member Jill Beda Daniels said members had talked about providing bus service in-house, but found that was not feasible.

"It's really unfortunate that there are not more options out there," she said.

The board is expected to vote on a five-year bus contract in June.