Transportation Services

Contracting School Bus Services

1. MGL Chapter 30B
• Procurement Bulletin (June 2005), Inspector General
• School Bus Bid Pricing Forms[pdf]
2. Prevailing Wage , School Bus Drivers, M.G.L. c. 71, §7A
• Chapter 71, § 7A covers the transportation of students to and from school, special education transportation, school-related athletic events, field trips, all other school-related activities, time spent performing vehicle safety checks, fueling, and travel between routes and garages, parking lots, and other places where buses are stored.
  • Letter to Jones, Office of the Attorney General, April 10, 2001 .
  • Letter to Blair, June 9, 2001 .
  • Letter to Jones, Office of the Attorney General, February 20, 2002 .
• School bus drivers are not required to be paid prevailing wage rates on chartered trips that are not part of a school bus transportation contract issued pursuant to M.G.L. c. 71, §7A.  The appropriate minimum wage would be the statutory minimum wage established by the MA Minimum Fair Wage Law, G.L. c.151, §1. 
  • Letter to Rooke , April 23, 2002 .
  • Letter to Rooke , April 23, 2002 .
• School bus drivers are not required to be paid prevailing wage rates on vehicles carrying less than 9 passengers
• Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District school bus drivers are required to be paid prevailing wage rates based on wage rates established for cities and towns located inside the M.B.T.A. jurisdictional area. 
  • Letter to Mandel, Ropes & Gray, March 13, 2003 .
• See also G.L. c. 151, the Massachusetts Minimum Fair Wage Law, for statutory minimum wage requirements.
3. Best Practices (MASBO Members Only Section)