WALL, N.J. — Student Transportation of America Ltd. (STA) has been awarded a contract to provide transportation services to Duval County (Fla.) Public Schools beginning in the 2009-10 school year.
The initial five-year contract is valued at $14.3 million per school year with annual increases provided. The contract also includes an option to renew beyond the base years for an additional five-year period.
STA will purchase a new fleet of school vehicles to serve more than 250 routes covering the 841 square-mile area surrounding Jacksonville.
The contract, one of the largest in the company's 12-year history, will help STA grow its operations in the Southeast, according to STA Chairman and CEO Denis J. Gallagher.
"We have been asked to review the transportation needs of a number of school districts this year where modernization of fleets and cost reductions are necessary to help relieve already-strained municipal budgets," Gallagher said. "Our investment here is long term, which was one of the most attractive things about this opportunity."