Colon schools approves outsourcing of transportation

Bus service for students in Colon Community Schools in the fall will be provided by a Lansing-based company, as the district’s board of education voted Monday to outsource its transportation department.
The agreement with Dean Transportation is expected to save Colon about $158,000 annually, according to district officials.
As part of its agreement, Dean Transportation will purchase all 14 of the district’s buses, provide regular and substitute drivers, a mechanic and dispatcher, and fuel. It also will purchase and put into operation three new buses in the 2015-16 academic year, and two new buses each of the following two school years.
Colon Community Schools, meanwhile, will furnish the company the use of its garage for day-to-day operations and cover the cost of utilities.
The first year of the agreement will cost the district $480,000.
With the move, eight regular drivers will no longer be employed through the district’s transportation department. Dean has made clear that the current drivers would be an asset and would be fairly compensated if they chose to hire with Dean and accept any of the eight routes the district currently has.