Huge Savings to Ellington Taxpayers With Amended Bus Contract

ELLINGTON, CT — A settlement agreement between the Ellington Board of Education and its school transportation provider will save taxpayers more than $400,000, according to school board chairman Michael Purcaro.

An amendment to the contract between the school system and First Student bus company, made in adherence to a March 31 executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont following his closure of schools statewide, resulted in a settlement with the bus company for $150,000. The amendment was approved at a special meeting Wednesday.

Executive Order 7R directed "parties to school transportation contracts to negotiate amendments to existing contracts to address actual and reasonable costs incurred by transportation contractors during the Closure Period so transportation contractors can, among other things, compensate ative employees and provide health insurance and other costs reasonably necessary for sustaining the continuity of school transportation services when school resumes."

"Many school districts continued to pay thefull amount or jumped on an initial 15 percent discount, but in Ellington, we dug our heels in and looked at paying only for what the actual costs were," Purcaro said. "The savings was approximately $444,000, or nearly 75 percent."

Purcaro said that savings could be used in a variety of ways.

"We can return it to the town, offset a loss of state aid, offset revenue losses or supplement the $1.3 million the board already gave back to the town," he said.

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