Committee rejects private bus company's bid, keeping district drivers

What happened

On January 22, 2026 the school committee voted to reject the transportation bid from Zum, a private school bus company that had presented its 2026-27 proposal to members earlier that month. Cranston runs its own bus service with its own drivers. Parents had spoken against handing bus service to an outside company at meetings in September and October 2025, one describing the driver who knows her non-verbal child.

Why it matters to families

Who drives the bus decides who a child sees twice a day, and drivers of students with disabilities often know those routines best. The vote keeps that service in district hands for now, though the district has since said it is reviewing how far students must live from school to qualify for a bus.

The evidence

The approved January 22, 2026 minutes record Resolution 26-01-02, accepting the superintendent's recommendation to reject Zum's transportation bid, adopted on a unanimous roll call. The January 5, 2026 minutes record Zum's presentation to the committee.

The source