Regular Board Meeting 7/13/26

The South Bend Community School Corporation held a regular board meeting on July 13, 2026, with a significant focus on transportation improvements and several procurement decisions. The board discussed progress on transportation challenges, including increasing bus driver staffing from 104 to 115 with a target of 125, reducing late or no bus incidents by half, and retiring older buses while acquiring new ones. Financially, transportation costs were reduced from nearly $19 million in 2024 to a new baseline of $13-15 million, partly by cutting contracted services and securing advantageous fuel contracts. The board approved the purchase of two pre-owned school buses for $20,500 and renewed contracts for student athletic insurance ($91,814), student hotspots, Google Workspace for Education Plus, and several special education staffing vendors following an RFP process. A motion was passed to approve the consent agenda excluding two contracts under $50,000, which were pulled for separate bidding to ensure competitive pricing. The meeting also included discussions on bidding policies for facilities management contracts and emphasized transparency and fiscal responsibility in procurement practices.