Barrington school panel terminates Ocean State Transit contract, directs RFP and safety review

The Barrington School Committee voted 4-0 to terminate its existing transportation contract with Ocean State Transit and directed school administration to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for student transportation services. The committee also invited Ocean State representatives to appear at the next regular business meeting to discuss their safety protocols.

Committee members said the vote followed repeated failures by Ocean State to provide requested operational records and to meet safety-related contract provisions. "I believe that they've breached the contract including the provision around recording devices, the GPS ... and there are a number of other times ... where we've requested video and that video has been unavailable," said Attorney Lombardo, the district's legal advisor.

Members discussed interim steps taken over the summer after the administration added staff members to buses to increase oversight. A school committee member said that staffing was implemented to provide immediate protection for students while the district evaluates long-term transportation options. The committee noted the existing contract began in 2020 and was set to expire June 30; members said some safety provisions in the district's earlier contract were more stringent than those in the new agreement.

The committee voted to terminate the current contract and then passed a motion directing the administration to issue an RFP that includes more detailed safety qualifications than in the most recent contract. The motion, which also requested Ocean State attend the next regular business meeting to discuss enhanced safety protocols, passed 4-0. A committee member said they would welcome Ocean State's participation but asked that specific incidents involving a bus monitor not be discussed at that public meeting because of legal complexities.

Attorney Lombardo advised the committee that documenting breaches is important from a legal standpoint even if the contract's formal end date is near, to preserve options for termination or renegotiation of future agreements. The committee said the RFP process is intended to broaden options while raising safety requirements.

Next steps: the administration will prepare and publish the RFP and schedule Ocean State Transit to present safety information at the committee's next regular business meeting.