Legal Focus

A pending appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will challenge existing case law holding that there are no statutory requirements for Department of Education pre-approval of Pupil Transportation Contracts. The case of Bell v. Wilkinsburg School District will be heard in March of this year to decide this important issue. Continue reading for more details.

As school transportation contractors enter into bid season, it is in the interest of the contractor to price competitively; however, contractors should be careful to consider the possibility of changes to their operational costs during the term of the contract. Currently, there is much discussion at the state and federal level on laws that could affect costs for transportation contractors, such as laws related to changes in infrastructure and school bus safety equipment. In the event that such c...

A fuel clause is language in a contract which allows the contractor and the district to share the risk of steep increases or decreases in fuel prices. The fuel clause is typically put into place for diesel fuel and gasoline, however, if your vehicles are using alternative fuels such as propane or electric, you may also want to consider a fuel clause for these fuels. Most fuel clauses address the risk of rising fuel costs. But, recent history has seen both increases and decreases in fuel costs. T...

“Hold Harmless”, “Defend”, “Indemnify” … what does it all really mean? This article explains contractual indemnity and will help you understand indemnity clauses. That is, who will be responsible for damages or injuries that may arise from performing the work of the contract?

In August 2016, House Bill (HB) 2274 was introduced into the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The proposed legislation would require school districts to utilize a Request for Proposal (RFP) process when awarding transportation contracts and the contracts would automatically expire every 2-3 years.

With a New Year often come changes and challenges in running your business. One such new challenge for 2013 is the Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Training Act. January 2, 2013 was the official effective date for the recently enacted law governing mandatory child abuse recognition and reporting training. The new Pennsylvania law (1084, No. 126 Cl. 24 Session of 2012 amendment of the Public School Code of 1949 Section 1205.6) mandates that all school entities and independent contractors of ...