Dutchess BOCES awarded a one‑year contract to First Student, Inc. for student transportation services across 13 participating school districts. The scope includes regular home‑to‑school routes, field‑trip transportation, and sporting‑event shuttles. New safety requirements mandate video‑surveillance cameras on every bus and cloud‑based data storage for the district. The annual cost, after a CPI‑adjusted increase, is $7,020,786.50 – a 34.8 % rise over the prior year.
• Service area: 13 districts (Arlington, Beacon, Dover, etc.).
• Required upgrades: bus‑mounted cameras, cloud storage, compliance with “2D” standards.
• Exclusions: monitors/aides on routes, field‑trip special costs, other additional items.
• Contract term: July 1 2025 – June 30 2026, with a $7.0 M annual budget.