Bids are in; nonpublic pupils will have busing
Bids received meet state per-pupil cap
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer
After receiving satisfactory transportation bids, the Holmdel School District announced this week that nonpublic school students will be provided with busing for the 2009-10 school year.

"I am pleased to inform you that at the April 1 … regular business meeting, the board approved the award of bids for nonpublic/ public student transportation services," stated Barbara Duncan, superintendent of schools, in an April 20 letter to parents and guardians. "As a result, the district will be able to provide transportation services for the applicable nonpublic school students for the 2009-10 school year."

Parents of students who attend nonpublic schools were surprised to find out that their children's transportation to and from school would be on the district's chopping block if bids solicited did not meet statemandated nonpublic school transportation spending limits.

"We were pleased to see such positive results of the bid," Business Administrator Michael Petrizzo said in an April 20 interview. "I think it was a good sign and hopefully all the attention on the matter attracted contractors to bid at the state levels."

Petrizzo said the state did not increase the cost per pupil for nonpublic transportation from the 2008-09 rates of $884 per student.

The Board of Education awarded contracts to three vendors to bus students who live within the school district but attend nonpublic schools.

Among the companies that will be transporting students to area nonpublic schools are Keyport Auto Body Shop, Keansburg; Michael A. Loori Bus Co., Middletown; and R. Helfrich and Son Inc., Keansburg.

"We tried to be as proactive as we could. We sent out reminders to bidders and advertised on our website," Petrizzo said of this year's bidding process. "About 19 contractors picked up bid specs and eight contractors bid. Multiple vendors were awarded as a result of being the lowest bidders on those runs."

At first, the district did not believe it would be able to provide transportation for nonpublic school students.

Petrizzo previously explained that the district had been over the 2008-09 transportation allowance of $884 per nonpublic student set by the state by providing approximately 320 students who reside within the district with transportation to area nonpublic schools, such as St. Benedict School in Holmdel, St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel, Red Bank Catholic High School, and Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.

According to a Jan. 26 letter to parents of nonpublic school students, the district announced it would only make aid-in-lieu payments and no longer provide busing as of Sept. 1, as it did not anticipate receiving bids that would satisfy state mandates.

A second letter clarifying the issue, dated Feb. 17, stated that the district would pursue bidding for nonpublic school runs, but did not believe the process would be successful based on past bids.

"Considering the actual cost for the current and prior years was more [than] the maximum amount permitted by the state, it is the district's position that this process will not be successful in securing nonpublic school transportation in accordance with the maximum amount permitted under NJSA 18A:39-1a," the Feb. 17 letter stated.

School officials assured parents during the March 11 Board of Education workshop session that the district would rebid if necessary.

"We will go out to bid March 20, and we will advertise and reach out to all applicable transportation companies to encourage them to bid on the packages," Petrizzo said during the meeting.

At the same time, he said, the district would also notify the Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission (MOESC) that transportation of nonpublic school students from Holmdel might be needed for the 2009-10 school year if the bids received were not acceptable.