Lawrence school district switches bus companies, adds GPS tracking and raises driver pay

Lawrence school board members voted unanimously Monday night to replace First Student with Durham School Services to manage the district’s bus operations, approving a three-year contract aimed at improving reliability, safety and cost efficiency. 

The move comes after the district previously rejected two vendor proposals due to cost concerns and has been seeking a more sustainable transportation model. District administrators said the agreement is designed to stabilize service while adding technology and improving communication with families. 

The 5-0 vote approved the three-year contract with an estimated first-year cost of $6.8 million and a 4% annual increase. This service includes 95 buses, 82 routes and transportation for more than 1,800 students daily. 

Cynde Frick, executive director of finance for the district, said the transition focuses on improved communication and greater efficiency to control costs and allow long-term service improvements. 

Superintendent Jeanice Swift said the contract marks the beginning of longer-term improvements.

“This is the opening point of the next one to three years of solid work to get us where we want to be,” Swift said.

All buses will now have air conditioning and will be housed on school property at the district’s Facilities and Operations building at 711 E. 23rd St. instead of leasing a separate facility. The district will also purchase fuel for better cost control and transparency.

Durham will also include several tech upgrades, such as real-time GPS tracking so parents can monitor their child’s bus using the My Ride K-12 app with push notifications. 

The company also uses Zonar GPS and Samsara systems to monitor driver performance and student behavior. 

Board member Matt Lancaster raised concerns about the GPS bus tracking and whether Zonar GPS and Samasara use facial recognition.

Mike Rennells, regional manager for Durham School Services, Rennells told the board that they will partner with the district’s IT department to establish logins for each student and their parent so that only a parent can monitor the bus their child takes to and from school. Rennells also said there is no facial recognition in any of the software they use, nor do they plan to implement it. 

“We don’t take this opportunity lightly,” Rennells said. “We have a lot to prove and to gain your trust, and we want to be a part of the Lawrence, Kansas community.”

Frick said the district has completed a preliminary route study that found eight routes that could be cut. Durham will conduct another study in the fall “to ensure we are doing things as efficiently as possible,” Frick said. 

More tangible changes with Durham include bus driver wage increases of $1.50 per hour and signing bonuses up to $2,000, as well as employee benefit packages. 

Incumbent drivers will have one-on-one interviews where they will come in and do their paperwork with Durham and will be prioritized for hiring, with additional staff if needed. 

Durham’s services will begin with the 2026-27 school year.

In other business: 

• The board unanimously approved the adoption of Amplify CKLA English language curriculum for K-5 as well as the Amplify ELA 6-8 curriculum. The estimated cost for both new programs and professional development is $1.3 million. 

• The meeting marked the ninth meeting in a row without general public comment on the agenda. The board hasn’t heard public comment since Nov. 17. 

Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].

Read her complete bio here. Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.

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