Active SLED Opportunity · SOUTH CAROLINA · RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT TWO
AI Summary
Richland School District Two seeks bids for supplemental student transportation services including special needs and ADA-compliant vehicles. This fixed price bid covers Year 3 of a multi-year contract with a fleet requirement of at least 15 vehicles. Services must comply with all safety, legal, and district standards. Bids due June 30, 2026.
The purpose of this solicitation is to competitively obtain bids to acquire supplies, services or equipment which complies with the enclosed description and/or specifications and conditions for Richland School District Two for the following project: Student Supplemental Transportation Services - Districtwide: Phase 3, 23-2447(3). Contractor shall be placed on a Qualified Provider List (QPL) as pre-approved sources of supply, however there is no guarantee of any work following contract award.
Fixed Priced Bidding Information
Any pricing provided by Contractor shall include all costs for performing the work associated with that price. Except as otherwise provided in this solicitation, contractor's price shall be fixed for the duration of this contract, including option terms. This clause does not prohibit contractor from offering lower pricing after award.
No contract may be assigned, sublet, or transferred without the written consent of the school district.
As used in these instructions, the terms listed below are defined as follows:
Richland School District Two is seeking bids for providing supplemental transportation services for special needs, homeless, foster care, disabled, medically fragile, and students of other needs as identified to and from Richland School District Two schools.
This is Year Three (3) of the four (4) one-year renewal options of the contract. The initial term of this contract was for nee year beginning in July 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. There shall be an option to automatically renew for four (4) additional one-year periods unless either party provides, in writing, one hundred twenty days (120) days prior to the renewal date their intent not to renew. The total contract term shall not exceed beyond June 30, 2029. Contractor(s) may request, in writing, a rate increase within 90 days of the contract end date each year. The rate increase shall not exceed 2% each year.
Bids Received After Award – Fixed Price Bidding
Offerors not responding to the initial solicitation may be added to the awarded vendors list provided the bidder furnishes evidence of responsibility and responsiveness to the District's original fixed price bid as authorized by the solicitation. The District reserves the right to review bids and process awards at their discretion.
Subsequent offers will be accepted and reviewed in accordance with the following schedule.
SOLICITATION PHASE | OFFER SUBMITTAL DATES | ANTICIPATED AWARD DATES |
23-2447(2) | December 31, 2025 | January 15, 2026 |
23-2447(3) | June 30, 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
23-2447(4) | June 30, 2027 | July 15, 2027 |
23-2447(5) | June 29, 2028 | July 15, 2028 |
All bidders who are awarded contracts from the solicitation will be placed on a Qualified Provider List (QPL) to be used by the District. Placement on a the provider list does not guarantee contractors will be used by the District and the failure of a specific contractor to receive business shall not be grounds for a contract controversy under Section 11-35-4320 of the Richland School District Two Procurement Code.
Award(s) will be made to all responsive and responsible Offeror(s) who meets district standards. Award(s) will be posted on the District’s e-Procurement Portal, OpenGov and will be electronically distributed to all those following the project.
The solicitation may be amended at any time prior to opening. Addenda notifications will be emailed to all persons on record as following this Fixed Priced Bid. Failure of any bidder to receive any such addenda or interpretation shall not relieve such bidder from any obligation under their bid as submitted. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation by confirming receipt within the OpenGov Procurement system.
Richland School District Two has estimated 350 students are currently in need of transportation services. The need to transport students is a growing requirement; therefore, the District reserves the right to increase the number of students needing service as the need(s) arise throughout the term of this contract.
In providing these services, it is agreed that the Contractor is operating as an independent contractor, subject only to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. All supplemental student transportation services provided by the Contractor hereunder shall comply with and be in accordance with all requirements of any applicable municipal, State, and Federal laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations and the terms and conditions of this Agreement. It is the intent of the District to obtain supplemental student transportation services; therefore, this request is not a replacement of the district’s current student transportation services.
Contractor(s) shall, during the period hereinafter set forth, provide and maintain the necessary staff and vehicles to conveniently and safely transport any and all students designated by the District to be served under the provisions of the solicitation in an on-time, reliable and consistent manner. This service will also include transporting Richland School District Two students living in other neighboring counties to locations within our district.
Contractor shall be required to have a fleet of at least fifteen (15) vehicles.
There are two LOTS for these services. LOT 1 is Standard Passenger Vehicles and Full Size Vans. LOT 2- American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliant Vehicles.
Contractor(s) may request, in writing, a rate increase within 90 days of the contract end date each year. The rate increase shall not exceed the CPI or 2%, whichever is less.
NOTE: A fuel surcharge of 5% per mile increase may be assessed if fuel prices exceed $4.00 per gallon.
Every resulting contract is subject to all terms of the District Procurement Code including limitations as to duration, rights of the District to terminate and means of dispute resolution. No resulting contract is renewable except to the extent provided in the solicitation. No vendor terms take precedence over the solicitation and the District's Procurement Code.
All applicable laws, regulations, ordinances, etc. shall be deemed to be part of these specifications, and the specifications shall be read and enforced as though they were included.
If an alternate offer is submitted other than the specified make and model requested in the solicitation, please enter the manufacturer/brand and catalog number of item(s) proposed and prices quoted for each item in the offer.
Upon award of a contract under this solicitation, the person, partnership, association, or corporation to whom the award is made must comply with the laws of South Carolina which require such person or entity to be authorized and/or licensed to do business in the State of South Carolina. Notwithstanding the fact that applicable statutes may exempt or exclude the successful Offeror from requirements that the Offeror is authorized and/or licensed to do business in this state, by submission of this signed offer, the Offeror agrees to subject itself to the jurisdiction and process of the courts of South Carolina as to all matters, and disputes arising or to arise under the contract and the performance thereof, including any questions as to the liability for taxes, licenses, or fees levied by the State. The contract shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South Carolina. The School District may seek attorney’s fees and Offeror agrees to pay such fees as awarded by the Court or other body. No attorney’s fees may be sought by, nor will be paid to, the Offeror.
Award will be made to all responsive and responsible offeror(s). There is no guarantee of any work following contract award.
Bids, amendments, or a withdrawal request received after the time advertised for the solicitation opening/closing will be void regardless of when they were submitted.
The vendor and all representatives of the vendor must have an acceptable background check to enter school property. At a minimum, the Offeror shall obtain a complete South Carolina statewide criminal background investigation and a National Sex Offender Registry check for all individuals and employees performing work or services for Offeror or any other entities such as subofferors, sub-sub-offerors, and consultants who will perform work or a service on this project. Any individual that is registered as a sex offender will not be permitted on school property. All costs associated with these criminal background checks are the responsibility of the offeror. The District reserves the right to request a copy of SLED checks on any representatives of the Vendor who will be on District property. The District reserves the right to deny access to any employee, offeror or person caused to be present on District property by the vendor/offeror. Removal of employees on this basis shall not disrupt the project schedule or cost.
Furnishing of Equipment and Personnel. The Contractor shall furnish all equipment and personnel sufficient to fulfill the student transportation service requirements stipulated in this Contract and its Specification.
Dispatching Operations. In order to service the needs of our students efficiently, the Contractor shall maintain an office and/or terminal within the Columbia Metropolitan area (Fairfield, Lexington, and Richland Counties, Calhoun, Kershaw, and Saluda Counties).
To ensure safe and efficient operations, a dispatcher shall be maintained by the Contractor to answer telephone inquiries during normal operating hours of 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, or until the last vehicle has returned to the terminal. Telephone equipment shall be operable at all times and provide for reliable communication with the District.
Cell phone numbers of the contractor’s management team shall be made available to identified district personnel to facilitate 24-hour emergency communications.
Permits, Licenses, and Fees. If applicable, Contractor(s) shall, at its own expense, procure, manage, and maintain all necessary state and federal permits and licenses related to operation of motor vehicles, driver licensing, vehicle maintenance and inspection, fuel storage, and other incidentals that may be required to provide the transportation services in this Contract and Specification, and keep all records thereof for a period of at least five (5) years, and promptly make such records available to the District for review upon request.
Designated Students. Only pupils designated by the District may be permitted to ride in vehicles operated by the Contractor under this Contract. Under no circumstances may a driver refuse to transport a student without express written consent from district personnel.
Breakdowns and Standby Vehicles. If a vehicle breaks down or cannot be safely or legally operated during normal school hours, a standby vehicle and driver shall be available and positioned to arrive onsite within fifteen (15) minutes. In any such occurrence, the appropriate district personnel shall be immediately notified.
Service Interruption. In the event Contractor is unable to provide the transportation services as specified in the Contract because of any act of God, civil disturbance, fire, riot, war, terrorism, picketing, strike, labor dispute, labor shortages, governmental action, pandemic, epidemic, quarantine, or any other condition or cause beyond Contractor's control, District shall excuse Contractor from performance under the Contract and no payments, except for services performed before the cessation of services, shall be due from the District until Contractor’s services resume.
In the event that service is interrupted for more than twenty-four (24) hours, the District shall maintain the right to secure and substitute other transportation services. Service interruptions, for reasons other than weather or natural disasters beyond the Contractor’s control, shall be grounds for termination of the Contractor’s services.
Legal Compliance. The Contractor shall at all times observe and comply with all laws, ordinances, regulations and codes of the federal, state, county and other local government agencies, which may in any manner affect the preparation of proposals or the performance of this Contract, including but not limited to:
a. Contractor(s) must assure that all persons employed by the Contractor, and all applicants for such employment, will not be discriminated against because of their race, creed, color, gender, handicap or national origin.
b. Contractor(s) shall certify that they are not barred from contracting with any unit of federal, state or local government for any reason.
c. The Contractor shall take all reasonable steps to insure that no Confidential Student Records are disclosed to any person or entity except those who:
(i) are Authorized Representatives of the Contractor performing functions for the District under the Agreement and have agreed to be bound by the terms of this Agreement;
(ii) are authorized representatives of the School District, or
(iii) are entitled to such Confidential Student Records from the Contractor pursuant to federal and/or South Carolina law. The Contractor shall use Confidential Student Records, and shall take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that its Authorized Representatives shall use such records, solely for purposes related to and in fulfillment of the performance by the Contractor of its obligations pursuant to the Agreement. The identity of Authorized Representatives having access to the Confidential Student Records will be documented and access will be logged.
d. The Contractor shall institute commercially reasonable physical and technical safeguards, no less rigorous than accepted industry practices (updated as such practices evolve), to protect the Confidential Student Records from unauthorized access or disclosure (a “Security Breach”).
Student Absences. As a very important component of accountability, the Contractor shall promptly provide the District’s Lead Social Worker with a daily “No Show” report for A.M. and P.M. rides of all student absences.
General Personnel. The Contractor is required to employ personnel adequate to fulfill the terms of this Contract, including a sufficient number of substitutes to cover absences.
Criminal Background Checks. Contractor shall not permit any of its employees, drivers, monitors, aides, contractors or agents to perform any work related to this Contract whose criminal or other background would prohibit them from working with children or in a public school under South Carolina law or who have criminal convictions or engaged in other conduct which calls into question such individual’s fitness to be in the vicinity of children.
At least annually, the Contractor shall check if an employee or agent assigned to this contract is listed on the Statewide Sex Offender Registry and shall promptly inform the District of any adverse results.
After award, the Contractor shall provide a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) background check on any driver or personnel that will be associated with this contract.
Record Keeping. The Contractor shall keep personnel records for all employees who perform work under this Contract for at least five (5) years, and make such records promptly available for inspection by the District upon request, which shall include:
a. Applications from all employees which include, confirmed work history, driving record, criminal record, and military record, if applicable.
b. Physical examinations, health records, and medications prescribed or taken, including tuberculosis screening for individuals who may come into contact with early childhood students (pre-kindergarten).
c. Results of alcohol and drug screening tests.
d. All job-related training, testing records, certificates, and licenses, including behind the wheel, emergency response, first aid, bloodborne pathogens, knowledge, hours of instruction, name(s) of instructor(s).
e. Complaints, commendations, evaluations, etc.
f. Accidents, violations, etc.
g. If a driver, all pertinent South Carolina driving records, including licenses and permits, revocations, violations, withdrawals.
Employee Removal. The Contractor shall be responsible for hiring and discharging personnel employed by the Contractor to perform its obligations hereunder. However, District shall have the right to request the Contractor to remove from service to the District any employee who, in the District’s sole discretion, is deemed unsuitable for the performance of transportation services for the District; provided that the District shall make such request in writing, state the reasons therefore and include any supporting documentation, and provided further that such request does not violate applicable local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.
Moreover, the Contractor shall immediately notify the District when the Contractor has removed or added a driver to this contract.
The District may request that any Contractor employee be reevaluated by the Contractor and that a meeting be conducted to mutually evaluate that employee's performance. After such, the District has the right to require that employee be removed from serving the District's transportation needs.
Appearance and Identification. The Contractor shall be responsible for the neat, clean and proper appearance of all employees on duty. Photo IDs shall be furnished by the Contractor and visibly worn above the waist by employees at all times.
The school district reserves the right to call for representative samples. Sample(s), when required, must be submitted in accordance with the conditions and instructions cited in the body of the solicitation notice.
Offerors not responding to the initial solicitation may be added to the awarded vendors list provided the bidder furnishes evidence of responsibility and responsiveness to the District's original fixed price bid as authorized by the solicitation. The District reserves the right to review bids and process awards at their discretion.
Subsequent offers will be accepted and reviewed in accordance with the following schedule.
SOLICITATION PHASE | OFFER SUBMITTAL DATE | ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE |
23-2447(2) | December 31, 2025 | January 15, 2026 |
23-2447(3) | June 30, 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
23-2447(4) | June 30, 2027 | July 15, 2027 |
23-2447(5) | June 29, 2028 | July 15, 2028 |
(1) a Record of Negotiations, if any, executed by you and the Procurement Officer;
(2) the solicitation, as amended;
(3) documentation of clarifications [11-35-1520(8)] or discussions [11-35-1530(6)] of an offer, if applicable;
(4) your offer; and
(5) any statement reflecting the State's final acceptance (a/k/a "award"),
(6) purchase orders.
These documents shall be read to be consistent and complimentary. Any conflict among these documents shall be resolved by giving priority to these documents in the order listed above. (b) The terms and conditions of documents (1) through (5) above shall apply notwithstanding any additional or different terms and conditions in any other document, including without limitation, (i) a purchase order or other instrument submitted by the District, (ii) any invoice or other document submitted by Contractor, or (iii) any privacy policy, terms of use, or end user agreement. Except as otherwise allowed herein, the terms and conditions of all such documents shall be void and of no effect. Any document signed or otherwise agreed to by persons other than the Superintendent of Chief Business Official shall be void and of no effect.
Bids may be withdrawn through the District's e-Procurement Portal. The responding firm may “unsubmit” their proposal in OpenGov Procurement. After withdrawing a previously submitted bid, the responding firm may submit another bid at any time up to the deadline for submitting bids, prior to the bid opening. In order to withdraw Your Offer after the minimum period specified following the bid opening, you must notify the Procurement Director in writing.
Contractor in all matters related to this Agreement. For the entire operation, the Contractor general manager's primary daily contact shall be with the District's designee, The District reserves the right to interview and approve, at its sole discretion, members of the Contractor’s management team that serve the District under this Contract.
(a) Without limiting any of the obligations or liabilities of Contractor, Contractor shall procure from a company or companies lawfully authorized to do business in South Carolina and with a current A.M. Best rating of no less than A: VII, and maintain for the duration of the contract, insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work and the results of that work by the contractor, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors.
(b) Coverage shall be at least as broad as:
(1) Commercial General Liability (CGL): Insurance Services Office (ISO) Form CG 00 01 12 07 covering CGL on an "occurrence" basis, including products-completed operations, personal and advertising injury, with limits no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. If a general aggregate limit applies, the general aggregate limit shall be twice the required occurrence limit. This contract shall be considered to be an "insured contract" as defined in the policy.
(2) Auto Liability: ISO Form Number CA 00 01 covering any auto (Code 1), or if Contractor has no owned autos, hired, (Code 8) and non-owned autos (Code 9), with limits no less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury and property damage.
(3) Worker's Compensation: As required by Richland School District Two, with Statutory Limits, and Employer's Liability Insurance with a limit of no less than $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury or disease.
(c) Richland School District Two, and the officers, officials, employees and volunteers of any of them, must be covered as additional insureds on the CGL policy with respect to liability arising out of work or operations performed by or on behalf of the Contractor including materials, parts or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations.
General liability coverage can be provided in the form of an endorsement to the Contractor's insurance at least as broad as ISO Form CG 20 10 11 85 or if not available, through the addition of both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 if a later edition is used.
(d) For any claims related to this contract, the Contractor's insurance coverage shall be primary insurance. Any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the Richland School District Two, or the officers, officials, employees and volunteers of any of them, shall be excess of the Contractor's insurance and shall not contribute with it.
(e) Prior to commencement of the work, the Contractor shall furnish Richland School District Two with original certificates and amendatory endorsements or copies of the applicable policy language effecting coverage required by this section. All certificates are to be received and approved by Richland School District Two before work commences. However, failure to obtain the required documents prior to the work beginning shall not waive the Contractor's obligation to provide them. Richland School District Two reserves the right to require complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies, including endorsements required by this section, at any time.
(f) Should any of the above described policies be cancelled before the expiration date thereof, notice will be delivered in accordance with the policy provisions. In addition, the Contractor shall notify Richland School District Two immediately upon receiving any information that any of the coverages required by this section are or will be changed, cancelled, or replaced.
(g) Contractor hereby grants to Richland School District Two a waiver of any right to subrogation which any insurer of said Contractor may acquire against Richland School District Two by virtue of the payment of any loss under such insurance. Contractor agrees to obtain any endorsement that may be necessary to effect this waiver of subrogation, but this provision applies regardless of whether or not Richland School District Two has received a waiver of subrogation endorsement from the insurer.
(h) Any deductibles or self-insured retentions must be declared to and approved by Richland School District Two. Richland School District Two may require the Contractor to purchase coverage with a lower deductible or retention or provide proof of ability to pay losses and related investigations, claim administration, and defense expenses within the retention.
(i) Richland School District Two reserves the right to modify these requirements, including limits, based on the nature of the risk, prior experience, insurer, coverage, or other special circumstances.
All services, materials, supplies, or equipment offered must be guaranteed to meet the requirements of the specification indicated, given, or referred to. In order to define requirements for quality and function of manufactured products, the specifications are based upon products of manufacturers as listed. Unless otherwise indicated, alternate or substitute items for offer are acceptable, but must be of equal quality and/or aesthetic value to what is specified.
By submitting Your Offer, you are offering to enter into a contract with Richland School District Two. Without further action by either party, a binding contract shall result upon final award of this solicitation. Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. Joint Bids are not allowed – an offer may be submitted by only one legal entity. A Purchase Order shall be issued by the District and shall give Offeror the right to proceed with this contract offer.
Subcontractors
While Contractor may subcontract with service providers who will supply drivers (“subcontracted drivers”) to provide student transportation services for the District, Contractor shall at all times remain responsible for the coordination of the Services under this Agreement. Contractor expressly represents and warrants to the District that it will only utilize subcontracted drivers that have obtained the necessary training and are properly licensed to perform the Services and who have passed a background check.
A Bid Bond is a requirement of the bid submittals. The Bid security shall be 5% of the total bid price provided.
Unless otherwise indicated in this solicitation, it is understood and agreed that any item offered or shipped under the terms of this offer shall be new and in first class condition, that all be new and suitable for storage or shipment, and that prices include standard commercial packaging.
In case of default of the Offeror, the school district reserves the right to purchase any or all items in default in the open market, charging the Offeror with any excessive cost. Should such charge be assessed, no subsequent bids of the defaulting Offeror will be considered until the assessed charge has been satisfied.
Number, Type and Size of Vehicles. The Contractor will provide the required number, type and size of vehicles to fulfill its obligations under the Contract and the Specifications herein.
Types of vehicles shall include but not limited to: sedans, sport utility vehicles, (SUVs), minivans, passenger vans/sprinter passenger vans. Any vehicles designed to carry ten (10) or more passengers must meet all regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
Condition of Vehicles. All vehicles operated by the Contractor shall be kept clean and free from all mechanical, operational, and structural defects, and under no circumstance shall a vehicle with a reported mechanical or operational defect be used with pupils aboard. All vehicles shall be free of cigarette smoke or any indication of cigarette use.
The Contractor shall provide necessary supplies, parts, and service to maintain all vehicles in safe, clean, and sanitary condition inside and out.
The Contractor’s vehicles assigned to this contract shall be five (5) years or newer. Any deviation shall require approval from the district.
Vehicle Inspections. The Contractor shall ensure that all vehicles used in the completion of this Contract will comply with all applicable regulations concerning inspections and at the Contractor’s expense.
The District reserves the right to inspect the fleet and/or equipment and has the authority to require the Contractor to make repairs, replace parts, or replace vehicles if the District so desires.
LOT 2: Students with Disabilities
This contract will consist of special needs and medically fragile students. If available and as requested by the District, the Contractor shall provide vehicles that provide easy access and safe transportation for students with disabilities confined to wheelchairs. Drivers shall assist with loading and unloading the special needs client's belongings and medical equipment. All ADA compliant vehicles must have a two-part securement system:
Seat belts harnesses and Safety Vests. The Contractor is responsible for providing proper fitting fastening and safety equipment (e.g., seat belts, harnesses or vests) for designated students with special needs and training its staff in proper securing procedures.
Wheelchairs: Vehicles shall have the ability to secure a wheelchair in place. Vehicles over 22 feet in length to have enough securement locations and devices to secure two wheelchairs, while vehicles 22 feet and under must be able to accommodate at least one wheelchair.
Delivery must be FOB destination freight prepaid unless otherwise specified herein. Delivery cost will be included in unit prices.
Obligation for Safety. Students shall be transported to and from school regularly, promptly, safely, and without interruption or incident. The safety of the pupils shall take precedence over all other obligations.
Drivers shall supervise the loading and unloading of their vehicles and use the utmost care for the safety of all students at all times:
a. Under no circumstances may a driver refuse to transport a student without express consent from the Director of Transportation or their designee.
b. While loading, unloading, or transporting students, the vehicle or student shall not be left unattended.
c. Drivers are solely responsible for properly securing all wheelchairs and mobility devices before embarking.
d. It shall be the driver’s responsibility for maintaining appropriate safety and discipline when students are aboard the vehicle. Drivers shall follow all instructions, rules and regulations for proper discipline and safe operation.
e. The school principal or designee shall be notified immediately of any disciplinary incident.
f. If, in the opinion of the driver, the behavior of any person threatens or prohibits the driver from operating the vehicle without endangering passengers, the driver shall stop the vehicle and take whatever emergency action is necessary to ensure the safety of all passengers. Immediately thereafter, the driver shall report such occurrence to the Contractor’s dispatcher.
g. Students shall not be removed from the vehicle by the driver as a disciplinary measure; authority in matters of student discipline rests with the District. Any problems concerning student safety and discipline that are beyond the driver’s immediate ability to solve shall be promptly reported to the District.
Pick Up and Delivery of Students. School bound students will be picked up from the designated stop and shall be delivered to the same stop when homebound, unless directed otherwise by district personnel only.
Special education and preschool students shall be picked-up and delivered door-to-door. Students shall be delivered to an adult or latch key authorization from the parent. No change in place of pick-up or drop-off for any student shall be affected without notice to and approval from appropriate district personnel. If no adult is home at the time of drop-off and there is no latch key authorization from the parent, the driver shall act in accordance with District policies and shall contact the school principal or their designee and return the child to their school. Under no circumstance shall a special education student be dropped off unattended.
Students are to be delivered to school no earlier than thirty (30) minutes and no later than five (5) minutes prior to the start of the school day unless other arrangements are mutually agreed upon between the Contractor and the District.
Unauthorized Persons. No unauthorized persons shall be allowed aboard any vehicle while it is engaged in transporting students; however, the District reserves the right to have an authorized employee or family member ride on any vehicle on any route, without prior notice to the Contractor. Rides by parents for personal reasons are expressly forbidden with exception to those receiving prior permission from the Contractor and the District.
Occupancy Limit. Drivers shall not permit more passengers to occupy the vehicle than there are seatbelts available. For larger vehicles, the Contractor shall not permit passengers to stand or sit on the floor while the vehicle is in motion.
Vehicle Transfer Prohibited. Except in cases of breakdown, accident or emergency, no student shall be transferred from one vehicle to another while enroute to or from school without the express permission of the approved district personnel.
Smoke-free Environment. All vehicles must be a smoke-free environment.
Fueling. Vehicles shall not be fueled while students are aboard.
Idling. Idling of vehicles is not permitted during the loading and unloading of students or on school grounds, except under extreme weather conditions.
Pre and Post-Route Check. Drivers shall check the vehicle to the rear at the end of each run, work shift, or work day, immediately following the final stop to check for the following: students, lost belongings, and damage to property. The driver shall activate the interior lights of the vehicle to assist the driver in seeing in and under the seats during a visual sweep of the vehicle.
If you do not ask questions or clarify any assumptions, the District will assume that you agree with and understand the requirements in the solicitation. If, after examination of the various terms and conditions and requirements of this document, the Bidder believes there are any terms and conditions or requirements which remain unclear or which restrict competition, the Bidder must request, in writing, that District clarify the terms(s) and condition(s) and requirement(s) specified by the Respondent. The Bidder must provide the Section(s), Subsection(s), Paragraph(s), and page number(s) that identify the conditions or requirements questioned, in writing, via the OpenGov Procurement Question/Answer Tab on the District's e-Procurement portal, on or before, Thursday, June 11, 2026 by 12:00 pm.
The District may ask any or all respondents to elaborate or clarify specific points or portions of their response. Clarification may take the form of written responses to questions or meetings to discuss the solicitation and/or the participant’s response.
No questions may be directed to or contacts made with members of the Richland Two School District School Board, Superintendent, or any District staff not identified in this solicitation as points of contacts during the period of time that this solicitation is made public until the final selection is made, except as otherwise provided for herein. Violation of this prohibition will be subject to disqualification of the Bidder from further consideration.
The school district reserves the right to reject any offer that contains prices for individual items or services that are inconsistent or unrealistic when compared to other prices in the same or other offers if such action would be in the best interest of the school district. Ambiguous offers which are uncertain as to terms, delivery, quantity, or compliance with specifications may be rejected or otherwise disregarded. The right is reserved to reject any offer in which the delivery time indicated is considered sufficient to delay the operation for which the project or service is intended.
The school district reserves the right to waive any instruction, condition, or minor specification when considered to be in the best interest of the school district.
All taxes, other than South Carolina sales tax, on any item that the school district may be required to pay must be shown separately and not included in the offer prices.
The District reserves the right to consider historic information and fact, whether gained from the Offeror's bid, question and answer conferences, references, or any other source, in the review of a bid. Bidder acknowledges: (1) that the District will contact various persons who are familiar with the bidder's prior work and related matters, whether such persons are voluntarily disclosed to the District in this bid or not; (2) that truthful and complete information is necessary for the District to make an adequate review of bid; and (3) that bidder will not take any action against any person who responds truthfully and in good faith to a bonafide inquiry by the District for purposes of reviewing the bids received by the District under this solicitation.
Richland School District Two has the right to audit the books and records of the vendors that pertain to this purchase order, both independent of, and pursuant to, the District Procurement Code. Such books and records shall be maintained for three (3) years from the date of final payment under the purchase order.
The District may conduct, or have conducted, performance audits of the vendor. The District may conduct, or have conducted, audits of specific requirements of this bid as determined necessary by the District.
Pertaining to all audits, vendor shall make available to the District access to its computer files containing the history of purchase order performance and all other documents related to the audit. Additionally, any software used by the vendor shall be made available for auditing purposes at no cost to the District.
Standard of Performance. The Contractor shall operate its affairs such that the District will be assured of safe, continuous, and reliable service. Conditions such as weather, accidents that impede traffic, and road construction that are beyond the Contractor’s control shall not result in performance penalties. The District reserves the right to withhold certain payments in part or in whole based on the Contractor’s performance and the terms of this Contract.
Performance Penalties. The following performance penalties may be assessed by the District:
a. Late drop-off or pickup, $25.00 per occurrence.
b. Failure to operate a route or scheduled charter, $250.00 per occurrence.
c. Malfunctioning standard or optional vehicle equipment, $250.00 per occurrence.
d. Leaving a student unattended, or otherwise endangering student safety, $2,500.00 per occurrence.
Termination for Cause. Other than the District’s right to immediately terminate the Agreement for violations that endanger the safety of students or for significant service interruptions that interfere with the District’s operation, if either party violates any of the covenants or duties imposed upon it by this Contract, such violation shall entitle the non-breaching party to terminate this Contract by giving the breaching party thirty (30) days’ written notice of default and the opportunity to remedy the violation or take steps to remedy the violation. If at the end of such 30-day default notice period, the breaching party has not remedied the purported violation or taken steps to do so, the non-breaching party may terminate this Contract.
Waiver of Performance Penalty. In the event of an increase in service levels, the Contractor shall be afforded a period of fourteen (14) days following implementation of such changes during which time no performance penalties may be assessed with respect to scheduled drop-off times or availability of vehicles on the new routes, while the Contractor makes operational adjustments to meet District requirements.
The successful Offeror will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and employment of the disabled, and concerning the treatment of all employees, without regard or discrimination by reason of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability.
School Calendar. The District uses a 180-day academic calendar. The Contractor shall provide all transportation services in accordance with the District’s academic calendar (Appendix III) as adopted by the Board, including provisions for holidays, and early/late dismissals. Each year, the District shall furnish the Contractor with a tentative District calendar for the following year; subsequent amendments will be furnished to the Contractor in a timely fashion and the Contractor shall comply with any such changes.
Summer School and Special Programs. The Contractor shall provide all transportation services for summer school and other special programs as may be required by the District.
School Emergencies. In the event of a school-related emergency, including but not limited to school evacuations, lockdowns, and student relocations, the Contractor shall immediately provide any and all transportation services instantly required to ensure the safety of students as identified by the District. Further, emergency procedures and scenarios shall be established and reviewed by the Parties annually before the first day of school.
Inclement Weather. Whenever (a) inclement weather or impassibility of roads occurs, (b) school is canceled or delayed, (c) the school day is scheduled for other than regular start or end time, or (d) school is dismissed early for any reason:
a. If the Contractor is incapable of full operations (fleet and drivers) to service the District, the Contractor shall have the responsibility to notify the Director of Transportation or their designee no later than 4:00 a.m. District personnel shall then decide whether to alter, postpone or cancel routes or schedules.
b. The District shall endeavor to notify the Contractor not later than 5:00 a.m. on the day of such cancellation or delay by the District or not later than two (2) hours before early dismissal or the cancellation of supplemental transportation.
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Bell Schedule
Elementary Schools | Start - 7:40 a.m. |
Regular Days | Dismissal - 2:30 p.m. |
Early Pickup ends | 2:00 p.m. |
Early Dismissal | 11:00 a.m. |
Middle Schools | Start - 8:20 a.m. |
Regular Days | Dismissal - 3:15 p.m. |
Early Pickup ends | 2:50 p.m. |
Early Dismissal | 11:45 a.m. |
High Schools | Start - 8:50 a.m. |
Regular Days | Dismissal - 3:53 p.m. |
Early Pickup ends | 3:25 p.m. |
Early Dismissal | 12:30 p.m. |
Late Start | 9:50 a.m. (Most Wednesdays) |
Westwood High School | Start - 9:00 a.m. |
Dismissal - 4:00 p.m. |
By submitting an Offer, Offeror certifies that, if awarded a contract, Contractor will comply with all applicable provisions of The Drug-Free Workplace Act, Title 44, Chapter 107 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended.
Prices offered must be based upon payment in the thirty (30) days after delivery and acceptance. Discount for payment in less than thirty (30) days will not be considered in making award. Payment in connection with any discount offered will be computed from the time of acceptance.
All Contractor invoices shall be submitted within 30 days of the service rendered. At a minimum, all invoice shall be itemized to include:
Upon the submission of itemized invoices and after verification of service, the District will issue payment. The District's payment terms are net 30 days.
Offeror shall submit all required information as provided for in this solicitation. Offeror shall submit all other information and documents requested in this section and other sections of this IFB to include any appropriate attachments addressed.
Contract Period begins: N/A.
Any pricing provided by Offeror shall include all costs for performing the work associated with that price. Offeror’s price shall be fixed for the duration of this contract, including option terms, except as otherwise provided in this solicitation. This clause does not prohibit Offeror from offering lower pricing after award.
To be eligible for award of a contract, a prospective offeror must be responsible. In evaluating an offeror’s responsibility, the District’s standards of responsibility and information from any other source may be considered. An Offeror must, upon request of the District, furnish satisfactory evidence of its ability to meet all contractual requirements. Unreasonable failure to supply information promptly in connection with a responsibility inquiry may be grounds for determining that the Offeror is not eligible to receive an award.
Neither the District nor the Contractor shall be liable for any excess costs if failure to perform the contract arises out of causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of either party. Such causes may include, but not restricted to acts of God or of the public enemy, acts of government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, fires, floods epidemics, quarantine, restrictions, strikes, freight embargos, and unusually severe weather conditions; but in every case, the failure to perform is caused beyond the control of both the District and the Contractor, and without the fault or negligence of either of them.
Any resulting contract from this solicitation will begin on the date specified in the Statement of Award or Intent to Award. The contract period shall be for NO VALUE years with an option to renew for NO VALUEadditional one-year periods, upon satisfactory agreement between Richland Two and Offeror.
Qualifications:
Requirements:
Offerors must, upon request of the school district, furnish satisfactory evidence of their ability to furnish products or services in accordance with the terms and conditions of these specifications. Officials of Richland School District Two may make such investigations as deemed necessary to determine the ability of the Offeror to perform such work. The school district reserves the right to make the final determination as to the Offeror’s ability to provide the products or services requested herein and to reject any Offeror if evidence fails to indicate that the Offeror is qualified to carry out the requirements of the solicitation document.
The successful Offeror shall indemnify and save harmless Richland School District Two and all its agents and employees, from all suits or claims of any character brought by reason of infringing on any patent, trademark, or copyright.
Any term or condition is void to the extent it requires the District to indemnify, defend, or pay attorney’s fees to anyone for any reason.
If the Offeror intends to subcontract with another business for any portion of the work and that portion exceeds 10% of the price, your offer must identify that subcontractor and the portion of work which they are to perform. Identify potential subcontractors by providing the business name, address, phone, taxpayer identification number, and point of contact. In determining your responsibility, the District may evaluate your proposed subcontractors.
Richland School District Two will accept sealed bids via the District's e-Procurement Portal. A copy of the bid package is available on the District’s e-Procurement Portal, OpenGov Procurement. All bids will be received no later than 11:30 am on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Bids will be publicly opened at this time. Late bids will not be accepted.
No pre-bid conference is scheduled. Bidders are encouraged to explore the project location to familiarize themselves with the needs of the area and the constraints of the project space.
Any contract entered into by the District resulting from this solicitation shall be subject to cancellation without damages or further obligation when funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support continuation of performance in a subsequent fiscal period or appropriated period.
All prices and notifications shall be submitted through the District’s e-Procurement Portal. No offer shall be altered or amended after the specified time for opening.
Unless otherwise indicated in the solicitation, prices must be firm, if accepted by the school district, within sixty (60) days after the solicitation opening.
Unit prices will govern over extended prices unless otherwise stated.
Unless otherwise provided in this Solicitation, the District shall pay the Offeror, after the submission of proper invoices or vouchers, the prices stipulated in this contract for supplies delivered and accepted or services rendered and accepted, less any deductions provided in this contract. Unless otherwise specified herein, including the purchase order, payment shall not be made on partial deliveries accepted by the District. Unless otherwise provided herein, including the purchase order, payment will be made by check mailed to the payment address provided. The District shall not be liable for the payment of interest on any debt or claim arising out of or related to this contract for any reason.
Payment for goods and services received by the District shall be processed in accordance with the District Policy. A purchase order will be issued and must be referenced on all invoices presented for payment. Payment shall be Net 30. The District Accounts Payable staff processes checks on the 10th and 25th of each month. All invoices must be received at least one week prior to check processing date.
This solicitation is a Fixed Priced Bid (FPB). In the event the School District elects to negotiate a contract with the successful Offeror, any contract shall contain, at a minimum, the terms and conditions (or substantially the same terms and conditions) as hereinafter stated. The School District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject all submissions, reissue a subsequent FPB, terminate, restructure or amend this procurement process at any time. The final selection and contract negotiation rests solely with the School District.
OFFEROR SHALL NOT PERFORM ANY WORK PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT OF A PURCHASE ORDER FROM THE DISTRICT. The District shall order any supplies or services to be furnished under this contract by issuing a purchase order. Purchase orders may be used to elect any options available under this contract, e.g., quantity, item, delivery date, payment method, but are subject to all terms and conditions of this contract. No other particular form is required.
Offerors are to visibly mark as “CONFIDENTIAL” each part of their offer that they consider to be proprietary information.
A. A prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with a solicitation shall protest to the Chief Business Official within fifteen days of the date of issuance of the Invitation For Bids or Requests for Proposals or other solicitation documents, whichever is applicable, or any amendment to it, if the amendment is at issue.
B. Any actual bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of a contract shall notify the Chief Business Official in writing of its intent to protest within seven business days of the date that award or notification of intent to award, whichever is earlier, is posted. The actual protest must be filed within fifteen calendar days of the award or intended award.
The protest must be submitted in writing to the Chief Business Official, Nancy Williams, 124 Risdon Way, DO @ R2i2-3rd Fl., Columbia, SC 29223 or emailed to procurement@richland2.org. The protest must be in accordance to section 4210 of Richland School District Two Procurement's Code.
The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding against loss, theft, or damage of all District property, materials, equipment, and accessories that might be exposed to the contractor’s personnel. Guns, knives, or other dangerous weapons shall not be allowed on campus. Smoking, alcohol and drugs are prohibited on the campus.
Each Offeror shall fully acquaint himself with conditions relating to the scope and restrictions attending the execution of the work under the conditions of this solicitation. It is expected that this will sometimes require on-site observation. The failure or omission of an Offeror to acquaint himself with existing conditions shall in no way relieve the Offeror of any obligation with respect to this solicitation or to the contract.
By submitting, the applicant certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief that the applicant and/or any of its principals, sub grantees, or subcontractors are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any state or federal agency; have not, within a three-year period preceding this application, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract; violation of federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, or receiving stolen property; and are not presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the offenses enumerated above. Applicant has not, within a three –year period preceding this application, had one or more contracts terminated for default by any public (federal, state, or local) entity.
Subject to the conditions below, the District, providing a (30) thirty-day advance written notice is given to the vendor, may terminate the contract for any reason.
Please provide the following information for each person(s) authorized to submit a response on behalf of your organization:
Name
Title
Phone Number
Email Address
Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror as provided with this solicitiaton. The entity named as the Offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.
Indicate if you are a South Carolina Minority-Owned / Woman-Owned Business. Check the appropriate box below.
Provide a copy of your W9.
Please upload your current business license here.
Provide address to which payment shall be sent.
If address is the “Same” as the Official Address - “Enter “SAME”.
Please provide a minimum of three (3) references to include the following for each reference: (must be submitted as a file upload)
Company Name
Contact Person
Address
Telephone Number
Email
Scope of work performed
Every resulting contract is subject to all terms of the District Procurement Code including limitations as to duration, rights of the District to terminate and means of dispute resolution. No vendor terms take precedence over the solicitation and Procurement Code.
To be considered responsible, responsive and eligible to negotiate and enter into a contract, if any, the Offeror shall, at a minimum, meet the qualifications as provided for in this solicitation document.
By submitting a response to this solicitation, the Offeror certifies that this bid is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a bid for the same services, materials, supplies, or equipment, and is in all respect fair and without collusion and fraud. The Offeror agrees to abide by all conditions of this bid and certify that they are authorized to sign this bid for the bidder.
If accepted and awarded, this Offer shall serve as the Official Contract between the Offeror and Richland School District Two. A Purchase Order issued by Richland Two shall constitute the initial start of this Offer/Contract.
Please indicate if your Company has ever been disbarred or suspended from conducting business in South Carolina by any federal, state, or local agency or SC school district.
The Offeror must make a statement as to any litigation to which the Offeror has been a party in during the last three (3) years. If there has been no limigation, please type "N/A".
Please provide an additional information/comments pertaining to this solicitation. If no additional information or comments are needed, please type "N/A".
Provide the potential conflict of interest(s) as indicated in the previous question.
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.
What type of pre-bid conference will be held for this project?
Is a Bid Bond a requirement of this solicitation?
Please select one of the following for the term of the contract resulting from this solicitation.
Please provide the initial term of the contract resulting from this solicitation.
Use the following format: one (1)
What is the extension term for the contract resulting from this solicitation?
Use the following format: four (4)
Does this project have a set time frame or will it have an initial term? If so, please share the contract period begin date for this project. If not, please type "N/A".
Example - project should be completed in 180 days, please provide the beginning date of this project.
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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