REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
ARLENE MOLINA, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Durham School Services L.P. for Transportation Services for Head Start and State Preschool Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Contract with Durham School Services L.P., to provide interim transportation services for children enrolled in the Head Start and State Preschool programs, in the amount not to exceed $800,000, for a contract period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
(Presenter: Arlene Molina, Director, 945-6478)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The contract not to exceed amount of $800,000 is 86% ($688,000) federally funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant, and 14% ($112,000) is funded by the California Department of Education. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department (PSD) 2026-27 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start (HS), General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs. These programs provide education, health, nutrition, cognitive, social/emotional, physical growth and development, and parental involvement services for children ages zero to five years with the goal of increasing family engagement and the school readiness of young children in economically disadvantaged families. HS and State Preschool programs (collectively, Programs) have been operating in the county since 1965. Since 1999, PSD has provided these programs through a combination of direct and contracted services.
PSD provides transportation services to eligible children enrolled in the Programs through contracted bus companies in locations where a lack of transportation has been a main barrier to the Programs’ enrollment and regular attendance. The recommended contract will allow PSD to provide transportation services to approximately 25 children. Based on a parent transportation-need survey focusing on enrollment and attendance, Twentynine Palms, Upland, and the High Desert (for children living in Victorville and enrolled in Northgate HS) were identified as areas where bus services are highly needed.
PSD’s prior transportation services contract was unilaterally ended by the vendor, First Student, Inc., on March 16, 2026 due to the vendor no longer having the necessary staffing in the required service areas. In order to avoid further disruption in services, PSD worked with the Purchasing Department (Purchasing) to procure interim services. The approval of this contract with Durham School Services L.P. (Durham) will allow PSD to provide transportation support to children enrolled in the HS and State Preschool programs for one year. PSD will subsequently conduct a formal procurement for future transportation services.
Durham’s performance will be monitored by review of monthly reports to ensure compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contract. Durham will cooperate with the County in the monitoring and evaluation of the contract and will comply with all established reporting requirements. PSD will review invoices and all requested supporting documentation remitted by Durham prior to payment. The contract may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days’ written notice.
PROCUREMENT
PSD contacted three vendors, Durham School Services, Student Transportation of America, and Visser Bus Services, requesting quotes for transportation services for children enrolled in Head Start and State Preschool programs. Two vendors were determined to have provided responsible and responsive bids.
|
Proposer Name |
Location |
Cost |
|
Durham School Services |
Warrenville, IL |
$698.98 6-hour base rate |
|
Student Transpiration of America |
Santa Barbara, CA |
$665.00 per bus per day |
|
Visser Bus Services |
Upland, CA |
No Bid |
After reviewing the submittals, Preschool Services Department determined that Durham School Services best met the needs of the County.
Purchasing supports this competitive procurement based on the informal quotes solicited and on the understanding that formal solicitation will be conducted in the next year.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Manager, 388-0222) on May 26, 2026; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 3, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-20) June 4, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Allegra Pajot, Administrative Analyst, 388-0218) on June 4, 2026.