# Education on November 2, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Education held a hearing on November 2, 2026, on Boston Public Schools (BPS) student transportation. Families and students described late or missing buses, inaccurate tracking-app information, unclear student check-in and drop-off procedures, unsafe stops, inadequate bus-monitor coverage, and limited responses to complaints. BPS reported October on-time performance of 91% in the morning and 86% in the afternoon, while acknowledging that service and customer responses need improvement. The hearing also surfaced safety and staffing concerns, including reports of insufficient monitors on some routes and concerns about recently added safety restraints on buses.

Procurement and contract oversight were central to the discussion. BPS described an overall transportation budget of about $200 million annually; Transdev’s contract carries roughly $125 million in pass-through costs, while its management fee was described as approximately $20–21 million per year. BPS said it withheld about $400,000 in nonperformance damages from Transdev last year and about $10,000 so far this year; the cited timeliness damages apply to trips more than an hour late or not operated. Councilors questioned whether the existing contract provides adequate accountability, raised the possibility of dividing the work into zones to encourage competition, and discussed stronger contract terms. BPS also noted work on a stop-arm-camera RFP. No contract award or formal vote was reported; the chair proposed a working group with families, BPS, and Transdev, and council staff will send the agencies a list of questions for follow-up.

**Industries:** Education, Transportation
**Published:** November 02, 2026