The Philomath School Board plans to hold a special meeting Monday evening to take up the pending student transportation contract.
The board will convene at Philomath High School in the library, beginning with an executive session at 7 p.m. to hear a public complaint. The open session, which includes the transportation contract vote, is expected to begin at approximately 8 p.m.
A vote on the contract was pulled from the board’s March 12 agenda after one of the two competing bus companies filed a formal protest during the mandatory protest period. The district had issued a Notice of Intent to Award to both applicants — First Student Inc. and Mid Columbia Bus Co. — on March 9.
Superintendent Susan Halliday said at the time that the district needed to respond to the protest before proceeding.
First Student and Mid Columbia both submitted proposals in response to a district request for proposals process that launched in January. An evaluation committee scored First Student at 185 out of 200 points and Mid Columbia at 120. The current contract with Mid Columbia, which has provided transportation for the district since 2010, expires at the end of the school year.
The board will also address a complaint during Monday’s meeting. Board members are meeting in executive session as allowed under state law to hear the matter.
The open session will be streamed live on the district’s YouTube channel.