Board discusses two-year Indiana Testing contract for bus driver compliance files

District transportation staff presented agenda item 26-136, a proposed two-year contract with Indiana Testing, Inc. (ITI) to manage bus driver qualification files, motor-vehicle record checks and FMCSA clearinghouse queries required under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation rules.

"It is just added security," said Bon Jackson, the district's interim transportation director, describing ITI's services and saying ITI has worked well with other local school corporations. Jackson explained the FMCSA process: when a limited query is run the prospective driver is notified and must set up or confirm an account, after which a full query can be completed. He said the system helps the district document licensing and screening steps required for CDL holders.

Jackson said the district has had lapses in documentation in the past: "We had a former transportation director who did not take his pre-employment drug screen. I made the state police aware of it and they gave us a pass," he said, adding that stronger systems can reduce human error.

Board members asked procedural questions about competitive bidding and contract timing. A board member asked whether other companies were consulted; staff said the district had used other firms in the past and had spoken with a neighboring corporation that uses ITI and reported positive results. Trustees asked when the automatic one-year extension would take effect; staff confirmed the automatic renewals begin at the end of the initial two-year term. The board member who spoke in favor called it "a no-brainer" to try the provider for two years and asked staff to track the timeline and evaluate whether to continue into the third year.

Staff said the contract cost will be included in the transportation budget. The transcript records discussion and questions but does not show a subsequent motion or roll-call vote on the ITI agreement.

If the board approves the contract at a later meeting, staff said implementation will involve integrating ITI workflows with the district's hiring and FMCSA query procedures.