Date Due: May 3rd, 2019
DUE NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M.
LOCAL TIME IN NEW ORLEANS, LA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Cover Sheet

Proposals received later than the date
and time above will not be considered.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: To provide bus transportation services for students
attending a collective of schools listed in specifications(the “School”).

NOTE TO PROPOSERS:
Carefully read all instructions, requirements and specifications. Fill out all forms properly and
completely. Submit your proposal with all appropriate supplements and/or samples and return
as instructed in Special Requirements/Instructions. The Schools in this Request will directly
contract with chosen vendor at the sole discretion of the School.

RETURN PROPOSAL TO:
New Orleans College Prep
2301 Marengo St.
New Orleans, LA 70115
ATTN: Anthony Crim
For additional information, contact Anthony Crim at acrim@nolacollegeprep.org or 504-715-4502.
You must sign below in INK; failure to sign WILL disqualify the proposal. All prices must be
typewritten or written in ink.
Company Name:
Company Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Taxpayer Identification Number (T.I.N.):

_____

Telephone No. :

_____

Email:
Print Name:

_______ FAX No.:

_________________________________________
______

Signature: ___________________________

[Your signature attests to your proposal to provide the goods and/or services in this proposal according to
the published provisions of this Request for Proposal unless modifications or alterations are clearly noted
in your proposal submission.]

PAGE 1

 INTENT TO RESPOND
Vendor: If you intend to respond to this offer, please email this one-page form to Anthony
Crim (Email: acrim@nolacollegeprep.org) no later than 3:00 PM local time in New Orleans,
Louisiana on April 22, 2019
DATE: _____________________________
TO: Anthony Crim, Director Of Operations and Facilities- acrim@nolacollegeprep.org
FROM:

_____________________________ (Company Name)
_____________________________ (Street Address)
_____________________________ (City, State, Zip)
_____________________________ (Contact Name)
_____________________________ (Phone Number)

RE: Vendor’s intent to respond to proposal to provide transportation services for the School

In order that the School may assess your interest in this job, please check one of the below
and email form to Anthony Crim at acrim@nolacollegeprep.org.
Our company intends to respond to this job ______________
Our company declines to respond to this job _____________
Reason for declining (optional):
____________________________________________________________________
Declining to respond will not eliminate you from future consideration for jobs with the School.

PAGE 2

 TABLE OF CONTENTS – REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PACKAGE
The items below represent components which comprise this Request for Proposal (RFP) package.
Suppliers are asked to review the package to be sure that all applicable parts are included. If any portion
of the package is missing, please notify Anthony Crim at 504-715-4502.
It is the vendor’s responsibility to be thoroughly familiar with all Requirements and Specifications. Be sure
you understand the following before you return your proposal packet.
1.

Cover Sheet
Your company name, address, and your signature (IN INK) should appear on this page.

2.

Table of Contents
This page is the Table of Contents.

3.

General Requirements
You should be familiar with all of the General Requirements.

4.

Special Requirements/Instructions
This section provides information you must know in order to make a complete and proper proposal.

5.

Specifications
This section contains the detailed description of the products/services sought by the School.

6.

Attachments
A.

Submittals 1 - 11

B.

School Proposal Form

C.

Transportation Assurances

D.

Contractor and Driver Expectations

E.

Contractor Insurance Requirements

F.

Student Transportation Agreement for services sought herein

G.

Proposed Exceptions, Alterations, Additions, or Modifications to RFP (if any)

PAGE 3

 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
AWARD
The School reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, and reserves the sole right at its
discretion to accept any proposal(s) it considers most favorable to the interest of the School and to
waive any and all minor irregularities in any proposal(s). The School further reserves the right to
reject any proposal(s) and seek new proposals through the issuance of a new or amended RFP if
such action is deemed in the best interest of the School.
OFFER COMPLETION
Fill out and return to Anthony Crim the School’s Director of Operations and Facilities, one complete
proposal form, and one complete copy, as instructed under the Special Requirements section of
this document. An authorized company representative should sign the Cover Sheet. Completion
of these forms is intended to verify that the proposer has submitted the proposal, is familiar with its
contents and has submitted the material in accordance with all requirements. Proposals must be
submitted in hard copy.
The submission of a response shall be prima facie evidence that the proposer has full knowledge
of the scope, nature, quantity and quality of work to be performed, the detailed requirements of
the project, and the conditions under which the work is to be performed. All terms, conditions,
specifications, stipulations and supplier requirements stated in the RFP, any attached Appendices
to the RFP and any and all Addenda issued shall become part of the contract entered into between
the School and the Supplier.
OFFER RETURNS
Proposers must return all completed proposals to the office of the School’s Director of Operations
and Facilities as indicated on the Cover Sheet of this package. Late proposals will not be accepted.
It is the responsibility of the responding supplier to assure that the response is received prior to the
date/time indicated on the Cover Page of this package.
CONTRACT RENEWALS
Renewals may be made ONLY by written agreement between the School and the proposer. Any
price escalations are limited to those stated by the proposer in the original proposal.
EVALUATION
In evaluating the proposals submitted, the School will apply the “Best Value” process in selecting
the supplier to be awarded a contract for this project. Purchase price is not the only criteria
that will be used in the evaluation process. The selection process will include, but not be
limited to, the following considerations:
1. The quality and range of goods and/or services the firm proposes to provide.
2. The extent to which the goods and/or services meet School needs.
3. The proposer’s overall experience, reputation, expertise, stability and financial
responsibility.
4. The proposer’s past relationship, if any, with the School and other schools for whom
the proposer has provided transportation services in the past.

PAGE 4

 5. The experience and qualifications of the staff (i.e. drivers, supervisors, dispatchers,
mechanics, etc.) that will be assigned to service the School account.
6. The ability to provide service in a safe, reliable, expedient and efficient manner.
7. Facilities and business processes and practices (computerized information systems,
access to industry facilities, quality and range of management reports, etc.) that will be
used in servicing the School account.
8. The Proposer’s financial terms offered to the School.
9. The total long-term cost to the School to acquire the Proposer’s goods or services.
10. Any other relevant factor(s) specifically listed in the request for proposals.
All proposals must be valid for a minimum period of one hundred-eighty (180) days from the due
date of this RFP. Proposers shall furnish the School such additional information as the School
may reasonably require.
The School reserves the right to contact references from the Supplier’s client list, or any other
persons considered relevant.
All costs associated with the project must be enumerated in the proposal. Any costs associated
with the project not explicitly enumerated and discussed in the proposal will not be honored.
Contract prices and terms are to remain firm through project completion. The Supplier shall
provide information on their standard fee arrangement for any goods and/or services proposed,
and any discounts offered.
The School reserves the right to conduct personal interviews of any or all potential suppliers prior
to selection. The School will not be liable for any costs incurred by the supplier in connection with
such interviews or with the submission of any response.
All proposers shall agree to use the Student Transporatation Agreement attached as
Attachment F if selected under this RFP.
DOCUMENT INTERPRETATION
In the event of any conflict of interpretation of any part of this overall document, the interpretation of
the School shall govern.
GOVERNING LAW
Any agreements resulting from this RFP shall be governed by, construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana applicable to contracts made and wholly
performed within such state (without regard to the conflicts or choice of law principles thereof). The
parties irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Louisiana, and agree that any court of
competent jurisdiction sitting in the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, shall be an appropriate
and convenient place of venue, and shall be the sole and exclusive place of venue, to resolve any
dispute with respect to any such agreements.
HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT
The successful supplier(s) shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the School, its directors,
officers, and employees (paid or volunteer) from and against any and all claims, demands, causes
of action of whatever kind or nature arising out of error, omission, misrepresentation, negligent
PAGE 5

 act, conduct or misconduct of the contractor and its subcontractors, agents and employees (paid
or volunteer) in the provision of goods or the performance of services arising out of the preparation
of this proposal and execution and performance of any contracts resulting there from. Such
indemnification shall also include reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and expenses.
INSPECTIONS
The School reserves the right to inspect any item(s) or service location for compliance with
specifications, requirements, and needs of the School. If a proposer cannot furnish a sample of a
proposed item, where applicable, for review, or fails to satisfactorily show an ability to perform, the
School can reject the proposal as inadequate.
INVOICES AND PAYMENTS
The School’s standard payment terms are net 30 days after receipt of invoice. When a supplier
offers the School a cash discount for payment of an invoice(s) with stated discount terms, every
effort will be made to obtain the cash discount.
In the event a supplier presents the School with invoices, statements, reports, etc. that are
incomplete, or inaccurate, the School may be required to perform substantial research which could
result in delay of payment. The School will not be responsible for any interest charges and/or late
fees as a result of delayed payment due to time delays caused by inadequate, incomplete, or
inaccurate information provided in invoices by supplier.
PRICING
Prices for all goods and/or services shall be negotiated to a firm amount for the duration of this
contract or as agreed to in terms of time frame and/or method of determining price escalations, if
any by proposer. All prices and methods of determining prices must be written in ink or typewritten.
Where unit pricing and extended pricing differ, unit pricing prevails.
SEVERABILITY
If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word of these requirements or
the specifications shall be held invalid, such holding shall not affect the remaining portions of these
requirements and the specifications and it is hereby declared that such remaining portions would
have been included in these requirements and the specifications as though the invalid portion had
been omitted.
TAXES
The School is exempt from federal, state and local taxes. In the event that taxes are imposed on
the goods or services purchased, the School will not be responsible for payment of the taxes. The
supplier shall absorb the taxes entirely.
TERM CONTRACTS
Any contract which results from this RFP shall be for a period of 2 years from the effective date
of the contract with an exclusive option by the School to renew on an annual basis thereafter for
four (4) additional one-year terms with the consent of both parties.
The successful Supplier, as determined by the School, shall be required to execute a contract to
furnish all goods and/or services and other deliverables required for successful completion of the
proposed project. No supplier shall obtain any interest or right in any award until the School has
executed a contract, and any such interest and rights shall be subject to the terms and conditions
as contained in such contract.
The successful supplier may not assign, sell, or otherwise transfer its interest in the contract award
or any part thereof, without prior written consent from the School, and even then, only to Qualified
PAGE 6

 Third Parties, which are third-party to whom the successful supplier has subcontracted, assigned
or delegated its responsibilities or obligations hereunder after having (i) received the School’s
prior written approval to do so and (ii) agreed in writing to be bound by assignor supplier’s
responsibilities and obligations under the contract.
QUANTITY
There is no guaranteed amount of business, expressed or implied, to be purchased or, contracted
for by the School in the initial maximum 2 year contract term or in subsequent renewals which
may or may not be negotiated and agreed to by the School with any supplier(s). However, the
supplier(s) awarded the contract shall furnish all required goods and/or services to the School at
the stated price, when and if required.
CONTRACT TYPE
The contract type to be awarded is a fixed fee /rate contract.
TERMINATION
The School reserves the right to terminate the contract immediately, without any advance notice, if
the School determines, in its reasonable discretion, that the selected supplier’s inadequate
performance (or non-performance, as the case may be) of its responsibilities or obligations under
the contract presents a risk of danger or harm to any of the students.
Each party shall have the right to terminate the contract if the other party breaches any of the terms
therein and the breaching party fails to cure the breach within ten days of receipt of written notice of
the breach; provided, however, that in the event that the non-breaching party shall have notified the
breaching party of a breach of the contract on two (2) separate occasions and the breaching party
has cured the breach on each occasion, the non-breaching party shall have the right to terminate
the contract immediately upon the occurrence of a third breach of the contract without affording the
breaching party the further opportunity to remedy the breach.
Each party shall have the right to terminate the contract if the other party becomes insolvent,
enters voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy, or receivership proceedings, makes an assignment for
the benefit of creditors, or is charged with committing a felony or misdemeanor, or if the School’s
Charter Operating Agreement is terminated or not renewed, upon 30 days’ prior written notice to
the other party.
The School reserves the right to terminate the contract for convenience by providing 60 days’
written notice to the selected supplier.
The School will then be relieved of all obligations, except to pay the reasonable value of the
supplier’s prior performance (at a cost not exceeding the contract rate). The supplier will be liable
to the School for all costs exceeding the contract price that the School incurs in completing or
procuring the service as described in the proposal. The School’s right to require strict performance
of any obligation in this contract will not be affected by any previous waiver, forbearance, or course
of dealing.

PAGE 7

 ASSOCIATION
Suppliers may not use the School official logo(s), or any phrase associated with the School,
without the written permission from the School.
DISCLOSURE
All information and documentation related to this RFP submitted by proposers may be subject to
public disclosure under the Louisiana Public Information Act.
EXCEPTIONS, ALTERATIONS, ADDITIONS and MODIFICATIONS
If any exceptions, alterations, additions, or modifications are submitted by proposer to any portion
of this RFP, the Supplier must clearly indicate the exceptions, alterations, additions and
modifications and include a full explanation as a separate attachment to the proposal. The failure
to identify exceptions, alterations, or modifications will constitute acceptance by the proposer of
the RFP as proposed by the School. The School reserves the right to reject a proposal containing
exceptions, alterations, additions, or modifications.
MODIFICATION/WITHDRAWL OF PROPOSAL
Proposals may be modified in writing at any time prior to the due date. Proposals may be
withdrawn in writing, by facsimile written transmission, or in person before the response date.

PAGE 8

 SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/INSTRUCTIONS
VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS
Responses to this RFP shall be formatted as follows:
All proposals must be submitted on standard 8 ½ x 11 paper. Proposals may be mailed, emailed
or delivered to the offices of the School, ATTN: Anthony Crim, 2301 Marengo Street, New
Orleans,LA 70115 or acrim@nolacollegeprep.org]. ALL PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED
NO LATER THAN 3:00 PM ON 5/3/2019.
EVALUATION AND AWARD
This RFP in no manner obligates the School to the eventual rental, lease, and purchase, etc. of
any equipment or service described, implied or which may be proposed, until confirmed by a
written contract. Progress toward this end is solely at the discretion of the School and may be
terminated at any time prior to the signing of the contract.
The School may initiate discussions with supplier personnel authorized to contractually obligate
the supplier. Discussions will develop into negotiating sessions with the successful proposer(s).
If the School is unable to agree to contract terms, the School reserves the right to terminate
contract negotiations with a proposer and initiate negotiations with another proposer. The School
reserves the right to select services and products from any number of proposers if in its sole
discretion it is in the best interest of the School to do so.
Evaluation will consider the proposal(s) best meeting the needs and requirements of the School
and such evaluation and determination of best value shall be solely at the discretion of the School.
Purchase price is not the only criteria that will be used in the evaluation process.
Submission of a proposal implies the proposer’s acceptance of the evaluation criteria and
proposer’s recognition that subjective judgments can and will be made by those individuals
evaluating proposals.
THE SCHOOL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO AWARD ROUTES TO ONE CONTRACTOR, OR
MORE
THAN
ONE
CONTRACTOR
IN
ITS
SOLE
DISCRETION.
References, site visits, and vehicle inspections may be used to make judgments directly affecting the
award of this contract.

PAGE 9

 NON-PERFORMANCE BY CONTRACTOR
Performance, before and during the contract term, will be a major consideration of current contract
award, renewals, and future award considerations. Failure to perform, in any sense relative to
this contract, may result in the probation and/or termination of this agreement by the School on
the basis of nonperformance. Nonperformance shall be determined as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Failure to meet and maintain all qualifications required in this RFP;
Failure to meet required personnel standards and operating performance standards;
Failure to maintain appropriate and/or necessary personnel licenses and certifications;
Failure to meet all vehicle inspections, certifications, etc. which are needed to comply with
federal, state and/or local requirements;
Failure to keep and maintain all required insurance coverage;
Failure to communicate appropriately with School staff regarding safety or health
incidents;
Failure to cure deficiencies within a reasonable amount of time as stated herein.

INSURANCE
All proposers must provide evidence of insurance or insurability, and a Workers’ Compensation
Certificate (see Attachments C and D).
SCHOOL BUS DRIVER / MONITOR REQUIREMENTS
Adequate numbers of drivers shall be recruited, hired, trained and licensed to meet the regular
and substitute driver needs pursuant with the number of routes awarded. It is the responsibility
of the supplier to have adequate numbers of drivers available to meet their needs throughout
this agreement period. Failure to have sufficient numbers of drivers to meet the operating
requirements for the routes awarded to a supplier will be considered as a serious nonperformance issue.
All drivers on School routes must be properly trained in accordance with all applicable city, state,
federal laws which govern their performance. Each driver provided [must be at least 21 years
of age] and be in compliance with all city, state and national School bus driver licensing laws.
Each driver must be of good moral character, meet all physical requirements, be competent,
reliable and be qualified by experience and training to operate School buses.
The School reserves the right, in joint consultation with the selected supplier, but with the decision
ultimately left to the School, in its sole discretion, to require monitors or other student assistants
on some or all busses or bus routes.
All proposers must have an Accountability and Evaluation Plan for drivers and monitors that
outlines how drivers and monitors are held accountable for all policies and regulations, as well
as how each driver and monitor is evaluated annually.
BACKGROUND CHECK OF BUS DRIVERS
A criminal history background and motor vehicle record (MVR) check must be completed every
year that the contract is in force and effect (including any renewal options) and upon initial
hire to determine that all drivers used or to be used on the School routes are in compliance
with state statutes regarding individuals operating School buses in the State of Louisiana.
Failure to present background checks of drivers upon request will be considered a breach
of the contract.

PAGE 10

 The School also reserves the option to conduct their own additional background checks on any
and all drivers used or to be used on School routes. [NOTE: ONGOING DISCUSSIONS
BETWEEN SCHOOL AND COUNSEL]
BUS DRIVER RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS
Records detaling the status of all drivers used or to be used on the School routes must be
maintained and available for inspection at the request of the School. The following items that
should be included in a folder on every driver for School routes, include but are not limited to,
a copy of the driver’s CDL, all other documentation substantiating the driver’s acceptable
status as a Louisiana School bus operator, evidence of training modules completed, initial and
criminal background and MVR checks, annual medical physicals, and drug and alcohol tests.
ROUTING SYSTEMS
All proposers must provide information on the routing software currently used by its company
and its plan for maximizing efficiency of its routes for the School. Routing software should present
a system of record for all routes, current stops and students associated with each stop. Reports
could be requested by the School at any time and should be accurate including route name, stop
names, stop times (AM and PM) and students assigned to each stop. Failure to present
accurate and current routes within forty-eight (48) hours of request by the School will be
considered a breach of the contract.
VIDEO CAMERA SYSTEMS
The contractor shall agree to have functioning digital video cameras with sound (provided by
the proposer) installed on buses used to provide transportation services to the School. The video
systems may be installed in buses serving the School as deemed appropriate by the School.
Contractors will make their buses available at no cost to the School to vendors selected by the
School for installations of such systems as directed by the School.
All proposers should provide as reference the daily protocols for accessing video footage when
requested by School personnel, including process to retrieve footage and timeline for receipt.
Failure to present video camera footage within twenty-four (24) hours upon request by the
School will be considered a breach of the contract.

GPS SYSTEMS
Proposers will provide buses equipped with operable Global Positioning Satellite tracking
systems with a parent friendly mobile app. The systems must be able to track both the location
and speed of all buses.
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT of PUBLIC SAFETY INSPECTION REQUIREMENT
All School buses operating pursuant to this contract must have a valid Louisiana Department
of Public Safety Inspection Sticker in the vehicle front window at all times. Failure to comply
with safety requirements will result in a fifty (50) dollar per day penalty until remedied and
will be considered as a serious non-performance issue.
AIR CONDITIONING
The School strongly prefers and encourages all School busses to be equipped with functioning
air conditioning systems.

PAGE 11

 TWO WAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS REQUIREMENT
All vehicles furnished under the contract must be equipped with functional 2-way communication
equipment which provides for instant communications with all buses used on School routes.
The equipment shall be used to improve safety by maintaining communications between the
bus terminal/dispatch center and the bus driver. The communications system must have an
operational range to allow for instant communications on all School routes. Suppliers must
provide dispatch operation and telephone accessibility to the School at all times when buses are
transporting the School students on either routes or to or from extracurricular activities.
ADVERTISING ON SCHOOL BUSES
No school bus shall have advertising placed upon it while operating routes awarded through this
agreement without the written agreement of the School.
AGE OF SCHOOL BUSES
The date of manufacturer of the body of the school bus will be the date used to determine the
manufacture date of the completed school bus. No bus shall be used to service a School
route, including spare buses, that exceeds 180 months in age. The School desires to have
a modern fleet of buses providing service to its students. The age of buses that proposer
offers to provide for services will be an important consideration in the selection of a supplier.
ROAD SERVICE
Each contractor that has 25 or more routes assigned must have a service vehicle to perform road
service calls. Those with less than 25 routes assigned must have a documented road service
resource on call.
ACCOUNT MANAGER
The School must be assigned one Account Manager to serve as point of contact for all School
transportation-related issues. Failure to notify the School within twenty-four (24) hours of a
change of Account Manager will be considered a breach of the contract. Account Manager
must be available 24-hours per day in case of emergency.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL BUSES
All vehicles to be used by the contractor must have regularly scheduled maintenance per the bus
manufacturer’s schedule and tires must have adequate tread and in accordance with Applicable
Law.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS RECORD KEEPING
As a minimum, a file must be maintained on each bus that identifies all work (repairs and routine
preventative maintenance) performed on the bus during the term of the contract. Any documents
evidencing inspections performed by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety must be
maintained as well. Failure to present complete files within forty-eight (48) hours upon
request by the School will result in a one hundred (100) dollar penalty per file and will be
considered as a serious non-performance issue.
DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL BUS ROUTES
The School will provide to the selected supplier certain information that will be necessary for
the supplier to develop routes. The selected supplier shall be primarily responsible for planning
all routes, subject to input from and meaningful consultation with the School and subject further
to the following routing parameters:

PAGE 12

 1. AM Route Services & PM Route Services: School Bus will arrive at the School at
[TBD] am every day with the AM Route and depart at from the School by [TBD] pm,
every afternoon with the PM Route. Unless otherwise agreed to by selected supplier
in writing, no route for AM Route Services and PM Route Services may exceed one
hour and twenty minutes (1:20) and any additional route duration or stops shall be
subject to additional charges.
2.

Other Services: After-School Routes: Unless otherwise agreed to by selected
supplier in writing, no route for other services which pertain to “After-School” Services
may exceed seventeen (17) stops, and any additional stops shall be subject to
additional charges.

3.

Other Services: Special Needs: Unless otherwise agreed to by selected supplier in
writing, no route for other services which pertain to “Special Needs” Services may
exceed two (2) hours, and any additional duration shall be subject to additional
charges.

(collectively, the “Routing Parameters”). The School will provide to the selected supplier the
routing information set forth in the Routing Parameters, together with all Student data and other
information reasonably requested by the selected vendor (collectively, the “Routing
Information”) within the time periods corresponding to the type of Services being provided, as
set forth below:
1.

AM Route Services and PM Route Services. For all AM Route Services and PM
Route Services provided hereunder, the School will provide information required
for routing to Contractor in writing by June 30th of the first year of the term of
the contract, and for each subsequent School-Year no later than August 1st of
that year in order for Contractor to determine the most appropriate AM Routes
and PM Routes.

2.

Special Event Route Services. For any Special Event Route Services, the
School shall, to the extent practicable, endeavor to provide Contractor with the
Routing Information at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the requested
commencement of such services.

3.

Other Transportation Services. For any such Other Services, the School shall,
to the extent practicable, endeavor to provide Contractor with the Routing
Information at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the requested
commencement of such Services.

MONTHLY ROUTE SUMMARIES
Vendor shall provide an average student rider count and route mileage report for each route
operated once a month as required by the School. To facilitate the adjustment of routes as
needed to accommodate student needs and to ensure effective and efficient routing and
scheduling, more frequent reports may be required of vendors by the School, especially in the
early weeks of each semester and summer program. Failure to provide monthly reports to
the School will be considered a breach of the contract.

ARRIVAL TIMES AT SCHOOL
Buses shall arrive at School as determined appropriate by the School in the AM. Buses shall
be in designated loading locations at least 15 minutes prior to dismissal time in the PM. Buses
PAGE 13

 shall not leave a campus until signaled by a designated School representative that all students
are loaded in the PM. School personnel shall be notified no later than fifteen (15) minutes prior
to arrival or dismissal times of any delayed buses and the reason for the delay.
DRY RUNS
Vendors shall perform at their expense, a minimum of one "dry-run" on all regular routes awarded
prior to the regular School year or summer School term starting. The dry-run shall be made on
the day and time as designated by the School. A designated campus official must approve signin sheets indicating dry-runs were conducted.
DRIVER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
All proposers must provide an outline of proposer-offered driver training and ongoing professional
development as reference for consideration. Selected vendors must be willing to enforce
mandatory professional development for drivers and supervisory staff if requested by the School.
OPERATING SCHOOL BUS ROUTES
Bus drivers shall operate all routes in accordance with accepted safe School bus driving
practices. Supplier agrees to abide by the reasonable requests of the School to replace a bus
driver for poor performance or unsafe bus driving practices.
DRIVER AND VEHICLE LISTS
Vendor shall provide lists of driver names, contact information to the School at the reasonable
requests of the School. It is the responsibility of the vendor to notify the School when there is a
permanent change of driver for any daily route. Such lists will be required at least once a month
and more frequently prior to and during each School year start-up. The School reserves the right
to request updated lists at any time to evaluate the supply of drivers or vehicles. The format of
vehicle and driver lists shall be determined by the School and will be supplied to vendors.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM
Vendors shall comply with the current US Department of Transportation and State of Louisiana
regulations pertaining to drug and alcohol testing of licensed School bus drivers. Pre-employment,
post accident, and random testing must be conducted. All required Louisiana Department of
Public Safety reports shall be filed in a timely manner. Drivers testing positive to drugs or alcohol
shall be removed permanently from all the School routes. Drivers shall be suspended during
any investigation to determine levels of drugs or alcohol.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDITS
Vendor shall cooperate with the School in conducting quality assurance audits as determined
appropriate by the School. Quality Assurance Audits will be scheduled at least one week in
advance. Unscheduled audits and inspections shall be conducted the School as the need
warrants. Inspection of vehicles by the School shall be an integral part of the audits.
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT PROCEDURES
Each accident or serious incident that occurs while operating a School bus route shall be reported
to the School by the vendor as soon as possible but in no case shall more than one hour elapse
between accident/incident and the School notification. The initial report from the vendor shall be
made by the method determined appropriate by the School. Failure to notify the School within
one (1) hour of an accident will be considered a breach of the contract.
Each accident or serious incident must also be reported in writing to the School. Within twentyfour hours of an accident or incident occurrence, the School must receive the written report.

PAGE 14

 This report must include the name and School of all students involved in the accident or
incident. The School retains the right to require an investigation of accident/incidents including
a written report with changes to processes to be implemented if warranted. Failure to provide
the School within twenty-four (24) hours will be considered a breach of the contract.
All proposers must submit established protocol for accident/incident procedures for reference
as part of RFP.
STUDENT DISCIPLINE RESPONSIBILITIES
Drivers are responsible for student safety while on the bus. Proper student behavior shall be
required of students by bus drivers in an effort to provide safe transportation. The selected
supplier will notify the School in the event any student behaves in a manner which (i) creates
an unsafe condition for the driver or any other students; (ii) to the best of selected supplier’s
knowledge, is in violation of applicable law or any of the Student Bus Policies; or (iii) results in
any damage or repairs to any vehicle used by the selected supplier to provide the services
hereunder (each event, a “Student Safety Incident”). The School and selected supplier agree
to discuss all Student Safety Incidents following the selected supplier’s notification thereof, and
to work together in good faith to correct the situation.
Drivers are not allowed to physically discipline students, evict them from the bus, or determine
their own consequences. The School principal or designated representative shall be
responsible to administer student discipline following the School’s Student Code of Conduct,
which may include suspension or denial of bus riding privileges.
BUS MONITORS
If discipline problems or other special circumstances arrive, bus monitors may be required on
the School routes. The provider should submit costs for providing bus monitors. Monitors must
be at least 21 years of age and of good moral character. Monitors shall work with the driver and
the School to maintain safe bus behavior and must be approved by the School prior to being
added to any route.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERFORMANCE
The supplier shall be responsible for the performance of all staff, equipment and procedures. The
School reserves the right to reasonably require the suspension or removal of any of Supplier’s
employees, equipment, or process for unacceptable performance. This employee, equipment, or
process, shall not be used to meet the requirements of this agreement until such time as the
School authorizes its use in writing.

DOUBLING OF ROUTES
Doubling of routes by the same bus is considered to be a serious infraction of the contract.
Doubling of routes is different from pairing routes in that the second route, if doubled, operates
considerably later than normally scheduled and occurs because of a shortage in drivers or
buses. Each route that is doubled shall be reported to the School and the designated School
administrator as to the estimated arrival time at School as soon as possible. Each occurrence
of a doubled route shall be reported in writing to the School and the designated School
administrator within eight working hours of occurrence with the reason and remedy clearly
identified.
LATE ROUTES
Schools must be notified by phone as soon as possible if a route is operating 10 minutes or
more late, for any reason. A bus is considered late if it arrives at a campus more than 10
minutes past its scheduled arrival time.
PAGE 15

 ROUTE SIGNS
Each bus operating a route through this agreement must have a sign provided by the School
located in the passenger door side forward-most window and the passenger door side rear
window as prescribed by the School or in another location with the prior approval of the School.
Route signs must be present at all times during the School routes. Each sign must contain the
School destination name(s) and route number of each route clearly printed.
GOVERNMENT VIOLATIONS
Vendor shall notify the School of all health and safety violations, OSHA violations, wage and
hour violations, labor violations assessed by any city, state or federal government depart or
agency.
USE OF VEHICLES
Passengers other than students assigned by the School shall not be transported at the same
time without authorization of the School.
OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLES
All vehicles used by a supplier for services awarded under this agreement must be registered
under the name of the vendor. All vehicles must be included under the insurance coverage
carried by the vendor.
NON-SCHOOL DAY SPECIAL TRIPS
The need for special trip transportation service on non-School days may occur. The length of
these trips will vary. A dispatcher, at a minimum, shall be on duty for the duration of each of
the trips. Some large group trips may require a supplier to provide additional staff for complete
success.
NON-COMPLIANCE NOTIFICATION
If the School determines, in its reasonable discretion, that the selected supplier’s inadequate
performance (or non-performance, as the case may be) of its responsibilities or obligations
under the contract presents a risk of danger or harm to any of the students, the School may
terminate the agreement immediately, without any advance warning or prior written notice to
the selected supplier.
In the event a supplier is determined by the School to have failed to perform services in
accordance with the requirements listed herein, other than as specified in the preceding
paragraph, the School will forward a written notification specifying the violation or the area of
non-compliance to the supplier. The supplier in non-compliance shall immediately remedy all
violations as determined by the School. Any violations not so remedied shall be grounds for
termination of the contract, in whole or in part.

ASSURANCES
All proposers must verify and confirm that their fleet is in compliance with all State and Federal
regulations regarding student transportation. Each proposer must complete and sign the
Transportation Assurances (Attachment C) provided in the packet.

PAGE 16

 CONTRACTOR AND DRIVER EXPECTATIONS
All proposers must agree to the driver expectations outlined by the School. Each proposer must
complete and sign the Contractor and Bus Driver Expectations sheet (Attachment D) provided in
the packet.

PAGE 17

 SPECIFICATIONS
Bus Transportation Services for students attending the School
SCOPE
The School is seeking proposals to provide transportation services for students in the School,
beginning on or about 8/1/2019 and continuing for 24 months thereafter with an option to renew
for four one-year periods. The School operates an open-enrollment charter school and is
authorized by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Vendors are
encouraged to review this entire RFP upon receipt. All questions should be e-mailed to Anthony
Crim, acrim@nolacollegeprep.org
The locations of the School’s campus and programs along with estimated student enrollment for
2019-2020 school year are shown below:
LOCATIONS:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Crocker College Prep-2301 Marengo St. New Orleans, LA 70115
Cohen College Prep-3520 Dryades St. New Orleans, LA 70115
Homer A. Plessy Community School-721 St. Phillip St. New Orleans, LA 70116
Living School-6003 Bullard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70128
Fannie C. Williams-11755 Dwyer Rd. New Orleans, LA 70128
Rooted School-4238 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70115
Mary D. Coghill Elementary School-4617 Mirabeau Ave. New Orleans, LA 70126

ESTIMATED ROUTE REQUIREMENTS:
Regular School Year (approximately August 5th, 2019 to May 22, 2020 plus summer school in
June 2020)
1. Crocker College Prep
a. Estimated Enrollment: 550 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 7 regular education routes
ii. 3 special education routes shared with Cohen College Prep
2. Cohen College Prep
a. Estimated Enrollment: 300 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 3 regular education routes
ii. 3 special education routes shared with Crocker College Prep
3. Homer A. Plessy Community School
a. Estimated Enrollment: 430 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 5 regular education routes
PAGE 18

 4. Living School
a. Estimated Enrollment: 80 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 1 regular education routes
ii. 1 special education route
5. Fannie C. Williams
a. Estimated Enrollment: 525 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 11 regular education routes
ii. 2 special education route
6. Rooted School
a. Estimated Enrollment: 160 Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. 4 regular education routes
7. Mary D. Coghill Elementary School
a. Estimated Enrollment: 600Total Students
b. Estimated Daily Routes:
i. TBD regular education routes
ii. TBD special education route

*Proposers should note that each School included herein will directly contract with the
selected vendor in their sole discretion. Therefore, locations and routes may vary
depending on a School’s decision to contract with the selected vendor
SATURDAY SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
N/A
SUMMER SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION
Summer School schedule to be provided when available.
The selected contractor(s) will be responsible for transporting students to and from their
designated pick-up and drop-off sites to attend their designated campus each School day
including designed Saturday School and Summer School routes.
Additional transportation support services will be required on an as needed basis. Examples of
such support services may include, but are not limited to, extracurricular field trips, athletic and
academic competitions, and other events which may occur from time to time which require the
need to move students to or from the campus they attend.

PAGE 19

 Required Submittals (Attachment A)
Submittal 1

Submittal 2

Submittal 3

Submittal 4

Submittal 5

Submittal 6

Submittal 7

Submittal 8

Submittal 9

Submittal 10

Submittal 11

Implementation Plan
Respondent shall detail their implementation plan and specific time lines to be
followed. Include information on current routing software used and systems to keep
an accurate database of routes, stops and student riders.
Experience in School Transportation
Respondent shall provide a statement of its qualifications to provide the specific
services requested herein.
References
Respondent shall supply a list of two (2) references and contracts describing their
experience in transporting School-age children. Names, addresses and phone
numbers of the references must be included.
Maintenance Program
Respondent shall provide a description of its proposed vehicle maintenance
program and how it will be administered. Provide a description of a periodic report
that will be required by the district to provide updated information on the condition,
age, and maintenance of the local fleet.
Driver Safety and Training Program
Respondent shall provide an overall description of its training process and driver
education program. Feature the student management training program, not only for
beginners, but annual and periodic training practices and evaluations. Provide
examples of effective student management programs currently in place.
Student Safety Program
Respondent shall provide a description of how it will address the issue of student
safety, including any educational programs it has implemented.
Proposal Form (Attachment B)
Respondent must provide a fixed cost proposal for the services requested. Although
cost is an important consideration, proposals will also be evaluated in terms of the
quality of the respondent's proposal relative to the other criteria listed here.
Transportation Assurances (Attachment C)
In order to ensure safety and compliance with State and Federal regulations,
respondent must agree to the assurances, initialing on each line that compliance is
met.
Contractor and Driver Assurances (Attachment D)
In order to ensure high quality services for School students, staff and families, the
respondent must agree to the assurances for contractor and bus driver
expectations, initialing on each line that compliance will be ensured.
Customer Feedback
Respondent shall provide a description of its formal customer feedback system,
provide sample tools used to gather data, and describe how results were shared
with customers and used to improve service.
Customer Service Philosophy
Respondent shall describe its customer relations philosophy and its program in this
area.

All submittals must be included in the RFP package returned on 5/3/2019 by 3:00 PM. It is
recommended that each submittal be typed on a separate sheet of paper with the heading
“Response to Submittal #___ for the School RFP” at the top and the name of your firm or company
underneath.

PAGE 20

 PROPOSAL FORM (Attachment B)
Proposed prices shall be submitted based on the Per Route Daily Rate. Each invoice period, total
home-to-School-to-home charges submitted to the School shall be the sum of the applicable Daily
Rates and the sum of all excess hours incurred beyond the hours included in each individual bus.
The School reserves the right to require the Contractor to add and delete buses to or from service
at the rates specified below subject to any price escalation clause. Prices should reflect service for
Monday through Friday route services, Saturday School services, and Summer School services.

TIERED BUSES ROUTES
The School may request that that the vendor provide routes for tiered busing. Please
indicate the daily charge for tiered routes:
Tiered Buses Per Route Charge: $_____________

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING ROUTES
The School may request that the vendor provide routes for afterschool programming.
Please indicate the daily charge for afterschool routes:
Afterschool Program Per Route Charge: $____________

ADDITIONAL DISMISSAL TIME
The School may request that the vendor provide a second dismissal time in one day.
Please indicate the daily charge for a second dismissal run:
Second Dismissal Per Route Charge: $____________
SPECIAL EDUCATION VAN ROUTES
The School may request that the vendor provide van routes for special education students.
Please indicate the daily charge for van routes if it can be provided:
Van Special Education Per Route Charge: $____________
BUS MONITOR SERVICES
The School may request that the vendor provide bus monitors for certain routes. Please
indicate the daily charge for bus monitors for each home-to-School-to-home route:

Bus Monitor Per Route Charge: $____________
Special Education Bus Monitor Per Route Charge: $_________
In addition to home-to-School transportation, the School expects the supplier(s) to provide
transportation services in support of other School related activities. If the School requests
bus service that conflicts with normal home-to-School service, the Contractor shall provide
that service to the best of their ability. Conflicting trips will require additional staff beyond

PAGE 21

 the numbers needed to provide regular home-to-School service and will preclude the use
of home-to-School vehicles.
Additional Transportation Services
Extracurricular Trips, Mid-Day Runs, and Other District Requested Bus Service

All Bus Capacities

Minimum Trip

Hourly Rate

Mileage Rate

Charge (__ hrs)

Over Minimum Trip

(If Any)

$

$

$

PLEASE INDICATE THE NUMBER OF ROUTES BELOW THAT YOUR FIRM DESIRES TO BE
AWARDED.
_______ ROUTES FOR THE SCHOOL

PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR
PROPOSED PRICING IN THE SPACE BELOW, INCLUDING IN FUTURE PRICE
ESCALATION FORMULAS OR MODELS (attach additional sheets if necessary):

PAGE 22

 ATTACHMENT C - TRANSPORTATION ASSURANCES
In order to ensure safety and compliance with State and Federal regulations regarding
student transportation, the transportation contractor must agree to the following assurances:
(initial each line to confirm acceptance)
______ All School buses have operational and lighted stop arms
______ All School buses have mirrors in working order
______ All School buses are equipped with first aid kits and fire extinguishers
______ All School buses have back up alarms
______ All School buses have working emergency exit doors
______ All School buses have functional front arm extensions
______ All School buses have School name, district, or company name posted on midline of
bus on both sides
______ All School buses have up to date inspection sticker
______ School bus emergency exit drills are conducted annually

Assurances completed by:

___________________________________
Signature

____________________________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name

____________________________
Title

__________________________________________________________________
Organization

PAGE 23

 ATTACHMENT D - CONTRACTOR AND DRIVER EXPECTATIONS
In order to ensure high quality services for School students and families, the transportation contractor
must agree to the following bus driver expectations:
(initial each line to confirm acceptance)
Responsibilities of Contractor:
______ School must be notified in advance of any change of permanent driver to a daily route.
______ School must be notified in advance of any substitute driver being assigned to a route.
______ Contractor must immediately notify School of any “dead” stops or changes to stops or
routes.
______ Contractor must provide video footage to the School within 24 hours of request by School.
______ Contractor must notify School within 30 minutes of anticipated arrival if any buses will be
delayed to arrival (AM) or dismissal (PM) routes.
______ Contractor must notify School of any instance of accident, crime or injury that occurs
involving the School students within one (1) hour of incident.
______ Contractor and all associated staff members must model appropriate language and
professionalism in interactions with School staff, students and parents.

Responsibilities of Drivers:
______ Drivers shall not deviate from the designated and written route except by consent of the
School or, in the case of an emergency, which shall be reported promptly to the dispatcher.
______ Students below the age of 8 must not be let off the bus without a parent or guardian present,
unless written exception has been provided to the driver.
______ Drivers must document any incidents or behavior issues in writing per the incident report
form prior to departure from School after AM arrival.
______ Drivers must notify dispatch immediately of any “dead” stops or changes to stops or routes
to make a permanent change to the route.
______ Drivers must notify dispatch of any instance of accident, crime or injury that may occur
involving School students within one (1) hour of the incident.
______ Drivers must adhere to the timetable set forth by the transportation company and agreed to
by the School. If a child is not at his/her stop, drivers will wait no more than 2 minutes after the
scheduled time before continuing the route. Any changes to the timetable must be communicated to
and authorized by the School before execution.
______ Drivers must only dismiss students from the bus upon arrival once it has been met by an
authorized School representative. Students with special needs must be met and escorted off the bus
by a staff member.
PAGE 24

 ______ Drivers must notify dispatch and School personnel if they will be late to the School for any
reason and include an approximate time of arrival.
______ Drivers must model appropriate language and professionalism in interactions with School
staff, students and parents.

Agreed to and completed by:

___________________________________
Signature

____________________________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name

____________________________
Title

__________________________________________________________________
Organization

PAGE 25

 ATTACHMENT E – Contractor Insurance Requirements
The selected supplier shall obtain and maintain, at all times the contract is in effect, insurance with
carriers having an AM Best rating of [A-VII], against all claims made by or on behalf of any persons,
firm or corporation, arising from, related to, or connected with the conduct and operation of the selected
supplier’s business including, but not limited to, the following minimum limits set forth below:
·
Commercial general liability: $1,000,000.00 per occurrence; $2,000,000 general aggregate.
Must include coverage for sexual abuse or molestation.
·
Business automobile insurance covering
vehicles: $1,000,000.00 combined single limit.

all

owned,

hired,

and

non-owned

·
Workers’ compensation: as required by state law with statutory limits and also minimum
Employers Liability limits of $1,000,000.
·
Excess or Umbrella coverage with limits of not less than $5,000,000 which shall be excess
over the general liability, employer’s liability and automobile liability coverages.
Such policies shall name the School (specific name and its officers, employees, agents, volunteers,
etc. as developed by their legal counsel) as additional insured for both ongoing and completed
operations on Auto Liability and General Liability. Such policies shall evidence the insurer’s waiver
of subrogation in favor of School with regard to general liability, auto, and workers’ compensation
policies, be primary and noncontributory with any coverage maintained by School, and provide that
notice of cancellation shall be provided to School in accordance with policy provisions.) The
selected vendor shall provide duly executed certificates evidencing such types and limits of
insurance as required above. Such certificates shall be deposited with School on or before the
commencement date of the contract and upon renewals of such policies, not less than thirty (30)
days following renewal of each policy. The selected vendor’s failure to provide a certificate or
Owner’s acceptance of a non-conforming certificate does not waive these contractual insurance
requirements

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Coverages shall provide for thirty (30) day notice of cancellation, specifically name the School, its officers,
and/or officials as additionally insured, and provide waiver of subrogation in favor of the School.
The selected vendor shall, prior to commencing any work under the contract, procure worker’s
compensation and employer’s liability insurance. It shall be the further responsibility of the selected
vendor to require that all sub-vendors have in full force and effect a policy of worker’s compensation and
employer’s liability insurance before proceeding with any of the work required under the contract. The
selected vendor shall procure and maintain, during the life of the contract, such public liability and property
damage insurance including the operation of motor vehicles, with limits as herein provided, which will
cover the selected vendor’s and the School’s legal liability arising out of the work performed by the selected
vendor and any sub-vendor, and by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either party for claims for
damages for personal injury, including accidental death, as well as claims for property damages which
may arise from operations under the contract.

PAGE 26

 ATTACHMENT 

TRANSPORTATION AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES
DESCRIBED 

PAGE 27

EXHIBIT G
[School’s Proposed Exceptions, Alterations, Additions, or Modifications to RFP (if any)]

PAGE 28

 END OF the School RFP PACKAGE FOR
SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

ADDENDUM

Due Date: 5/3/2019
DUE NO LATER THAN 3:00 PM
AT THE SCHOOL
Crocker College Prep
2301 Marengo Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Or by email: acrim@nolacollegeprep.org
Proposals received later than the date and time above will not be considered.

PAGE 29