WARRENVILLE, Ill. — Durham School Services was recently awarded two five-year contracts to serve school districts in Washington and Oregon.

Under the agreement with Newport (Wash.) School District, Durham will provide transportation services beginning in July for the 2012-13 school year. The company will operate 78 home-to-school routes for the district, transporting approximately 650 students each day.

Officials said that Newport Superintendent Jason Thompson was impressed by Durham’s safety record and customer service focus. “We are confident that our partnership with Durham School Services will provide safe and reliable transportation for our students,” he said.  “Durham has an outstanding track record, and we believe Durham’s team will be responsive to our district’s needs.”

The buses serving the Newport district will be equipped with GPS, and Durham will provide wheelchair-accessible buses for students with special needs.

Durham reportedly plans to rehire as many drivers, monitors, mechanics and staff from the current provider as possible.

Durham’s contract with St. Helens Public Schools in Portland, Ore., also begins in July for the upcoming school year, and as with Newport School District, Durham plans to rehire as many drivers, monitors, mechanics and staff from the current provider as possible.

Superintendent Mark Davalos said the district is excited about its partnership with Durham, and that officials felt the company’s commitment to safe and reliable transportation makes it an ideal partner for St. Helens Public Schools.

Durham will operate 28 home-to-school routes with 32 buses equipped with GPS. The buses will also be wheelchair accessible.