Illinois School District U-46 Transportation Consulting Services A Proposal Presented to Illinois School District U-46 Submitted by: LPS 55 Shuman Boulevard Naperville, IL 60563
Executive Summary LPS is pleased to submit this proposal for Transportation Consulting Services to Illinois School District U- 46. We look forward to working with you on this very important initiative. By choosing LPS, you will be partnering with an organization that is uniquely qualified to deliver a successful project for your school district. As outlined in this document, LPS is comprised of a team of talented and dedicated individuals with over 150 years of collective computerized routing and transportation consulting experience for nearly 200 school districts around the country. Additionally, a significant portion of the experience is geared around the implementation, support and optimization of VersaTrans implementations. The recommendations offered through this proposed study will be a result of the combined thinking of a diverse team of school bus transportation experts with this specialized experience. This will ensure that the appropriate opportunities to drive routing efficiency are identified and effectively presented. The General Manager of LPS will oversee this engagement, assuring a successful and timely completion of this project. We look forward to working with Illinois School District U-46 in this most important transportation project. Thank you for the opportunity to present our proposal Regards, Scott Parker General Manager/LPS
Table of Contents Description of Organization and Key Team Members CONTACT INFORMATION and FIRM HISTORY PROJECT TEAM REFERENCES ASSUMPTIONS WORKSCOPE OUT OF SCOPE Scope of Services Pricing Report Samples
Description of Organization and Key Team Members LPS HEADQUARTERS Laidlaw Planning Solutions 1705 Bow Street Missoula, MT 59801 (406) 728-9323 (406) 728-9353 (fax) CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS Laidlaw Education Services 55 Shuman Boulevard Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 848 3000 (630) 848-3153 (fax) FIRM HISTORY Laidlaw Planning Solutions (LPS) is a division of Laidlaw Education Services North America s largest contractor of student transportation service. LPS is not a software vendor, we are a solutions provider. We have been in operations for over fifteen years providing safe, efficient, road-worthy school transportation solutions using the latest technology to dozens of school districts across the United States and Canada. We re not just another technology consulting firm. We know what it takes to run an effective student GIS (Geographic Information Systems) system. LPS manages systems for over 1 million students and 11,000 buses across North America. We are the experts at using GIS technology and related services to achieve better performance and greater overall results for the entire community. Headquartered in Naperville, Ill., Laidlaw Education Services is the largest private contractor of student transportation in North America with a modern fleet of more than 42,000 school buses and a daily passenger load of 2.3 million school children. Laidlaw Education Services partners with educational institutions throughout the United States and Canada to provide a wide range of contracted management and professional services in a variety of academic settings. Its acquired companies have provided contracted student transportation services in North America since the early 1900s. We have achieved our success and leadership position in the industry because: We provide cost-efficient transportation services; We understand and care about our customers; We effectively manage our operations, consulting, and maintenance capabilities; and We set and maintain high safety standards.
LPS REFERENCES Academy SD #20 Steve Strobel 7408-A Duryea Colorado Springs, CO 80920 (719) 598-3414 85 Buses Detailed departmental review including routing study. Long-term contract to provide consulting services/support. Rochester MN Public Schools ISD #535 Jeff Kappers 615 7th St SW Rochester, MN 55902 (507) 285-8565 150 Buses Installed routing software. Provide ongoing consultant services/support. Provided a routing study. Santa Rosa County SD Larry Blackwell 6544 Firehouse Road Milton, FL 32570 (850) 983-5106 300 Buses Installed routing software. Provide ongoing consultant services and support. Assist with annual state funding report. Indian Prairie School District #204 Pat Decker 780 Shoreline Dr Aurora, IL 60504 (630) 375-3000 150 Buses Installed routing software. Provide ongoing consulting services/support. Pinellas County Schools Walter Miller 11111 S Belcher Rd Largo, FL 33773 (727) 547-7292 750 Buses In depth routing consultant study for school choice. St. Louis Public Schools Cliff Avers 801 North 11 th Street St. Louis, MO 63101 (314) 267-2345 300 Buses In depth routing consultant study for school choice. Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Dennis L Cook 520 Fifth Ave Fairbanks, AK 99701 (907) 452-2000 110 Buses Routing System Analysis and Consultation. Brought system up to cost-saving use.
PROJECT TEAM The LPS organization has comprised of a team of talented and dedicated individuals with has over 150 years of collective computerized routing experience for nearly 200 school districts around the country. The team assigned to this project, with key members highlighted below, is expressly selected to align the appropriate experience and expertise for the needs of this project. SCOTT PARKER General Manager/LPS Scott joined Laidlaw Education Services as General Manager/LPS in September 2006. Scott brings 20 years of progressive management and technical leadership to LPS. He is based in Naperville, IL. Scott worked for General Electric between 2000 and 2006; his most recent position was as IT Manager for a $1.4 billion division of GE Energy, based in Atlanta, GA. In this capacity, Scott led a team responsible for all aspects of the division s IT operations, including: program development, infrastructure, technical leadership, end-user support and strategic planning. Prior to GE, Scott was the Vice President and General Manager for American Administrative Group, third-party health insurance administration firm, based in Schaumburg, IL. AAG provided outsource services to a diverse self-funded and fully-insured client base. In this role, Scott had responsibility for all operational aspects of the organization, including profit and loss. During his tenure with AAG from 1994 to 2000, AAG achieved a 300% increase in annual revenues. From 1991 to 1994, Scott held the role of Director/Business Development for Moore BCS, an outsource provider of business-critical print and mail services. Scott established and industryaligned team to develop, deliver and manage document delivery projects to large insurance corporations. This team became the model upon which an extensive MBCS engineering effort was based. Scott started his professional career with the Beaven Companies, an employee benefit administration firm. In his seven year tenure with Beaven, Scott started as a computer programmer and worked through the ranks, ultimately earning the role of Director/Information Systems. He holds a Bachelor s Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, IL.
COLTON GRAHAM LPS Consulting and Development Manager Colton began his career with LPS in February 1993 as a software trainer. He quickly advanced to GIS Services Manager and Special Project Consultant. Colton has been instrumental in the installation and support of 100+ Edulog and VersaTrans software projects personally leading or assisting in the optimization of school bus routes for such districts as Little Rock, Arkansas; Naperville, Illinois; San Joaquin County Special Needs, California; and Tacoma, Washington. His experience and extensive knowledge of routing software systems has provided numerous school districts with studies and analyses of routing and policy, which illustrate potential savings. In addition, Colton has lent his expertise to school districts requiring assistance with redistricting issues and attendance boundary modification. Mr. Graham currently serves as LPS' Consulting and Development manager. He is responsible for consulting services as well as development of new LPS applications and products. Colton graduated with honors, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, in 1989 from California State University, Chico, CA. He has also completed extensive coursework in mathematics and computer science.
SEAN O HALLORAN LPS Client Services Manager Sean began his career with LPS in September 1998 as a consultant for EdulogNT conversions and staff training. In December 1998, Sean was hired as a full time employee to supervise the LPS routing support staff. In February 1999, he assumed the responsibilities of system administrator for the office network and later became Manager of Information Services. As a Certified Help Desk Manager, Sean was responsible for hardware and software procurement, installation and maintenance for the LPS office as well as supervision of the routing support staff. In addition, he provided technical support to the national Directors of Business Development staff in their proposal development efforts. Sean has earned a Help Desk Manager certification from Help Desk 2000 in May of 2001. Since that time Sean has become the Manager of Client Services. In addition to his previous responsibilities he is also responsible for implementation and training for all applications supported by LPS. Prior to joining the staff of LPS, Sean was employed for nine years by Education Logistics, Inc. He started with Edulog in December of 1989 as a training specialist. Sean advanced to special projects coordinator, and subsequently manager of the training and consultation group. In 1996, he was promoted to the position of Director of Implementation which responsibilities included management of the technical support staff as well as the training and consultation staff. Sean received his Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics with a physical science emphasis and a minor in Russian language from the University of Montana.
FRED WESTERENG LPS GIS Services Manager Fred has advanced through virtually all departments of LPS since he started with the company in the spring of 1996. Fred is currently the GIS Services Manager, he specializes in the use of GIS routing software while acting as a transportation consultant to Laidlaw terminals. A breadth of experience working both in the field and managing data in the office make Fred a valuable resource for LPS, as he offers well-rounded practical, yet technical expertise in providing solutions for Laidlaw s routing customers. Fred attended the University of New Orleans and graduated from LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He moved to Missoula, Montana to attend graduate school in History before beginning his career with Laidlaw.
GREG ROSS LPS Project Leader Greg Ross joined LPS in 2004 as a Project Leader. Since joining LPS, he has been instrumental in the implementation and the research and development of several on-board GPS projects for Laidlaw. Prior to his work with LPS, Greg spent several years working as the Operations Director and Finance Manager for a homegrown telephone software company, Martin Group, in Missoula, Montana. During his time at Martin Group, he directed the product development and software implementation for the company. Greg is proficient with relational databases and several GIS products, including Auto Cad and MapInfo. Prior to his employment with the Martin Group, Greg spent three years as the Southeast Regional Implementation Coordinator for Education Logistics. Mr. Ross graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1986 from Western Montana College, with degrees in Secondary Mathematics and History. After graduating from college, Greg taught high school mathematics for four years prior to moving into the software industry.
LANCE OSLER LPS Project Leader Mr. Osler began his sales and marketing career in computerized transportation routing with Education Logistics, Inc. He served as Marketing Supervisor for the company until September 1998. In that position, he was responsible for sales staff training and motivation, and generating sales leads. He introduced software packages to prospective clients and provided software related problem-solving assistance to existing clients. Lance was also employed with VersaTrans Solutions, Inc., as a software training and implementation specialist, and later as project manager, trainer and client support provider. As a Project Leader for LPS, Lance brings extensive knowledge of the leading transportation software packages to school districts. After an analysis of a school system, his recommendations allow school administrators and transportation directors to install, implement and maintain the best, most efficient routing system for their district. Lance graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, in 1994 in Child Development and Psychology from University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho where he also made the Dean s List of College of Letters and Science.
Scope of Services ASSUMPTIONS LPS will be provided with a copy of the District s most current VersaTrans system data. Please note: LPS is fully licensed to perform studies and consultations using the latest version of VersaTrans Routing and Planning system. The District s VersaTrans system accurately reflects transportation and student assignment to bus stops in reality. LPS will have necessary access to appropriate U-46 personnel. WORKSCOPE 1. Routing Operations LPS will provide the following, but not necessarily limited to, analysis of the routing and scheduling function currently in practice at U-46. a. Examine and understand the current VersaTrans computer system used in the scheduling of students, bus stops, trips and drivers. An on-site examination of the system will be made, including interviews with key personnel who utilize the system day-to-day. b. The Routing Process. The routing process itself will be examined, including the complex routing phase for Fall startup and the daily change process that goes on throughout the school year. This examination will include all aspects of data handling, from how a student is determined eligible for transportation, to how the driver receives the route printout, and how parents, students and school officials are notified of stop locations, route numbers and pickup times. Interviews will be conducted with key personnel involved in the routing process. Any available historic records involving route changes will be examined. Modifications, which would streamline this process, will be detailed. c. Policies and Procedures. LPS will evaluate current U-46 student transportation policies involving student eligibility requirements, bus stop service requirements, ride time requirements and early/late arrive and depart requirements. LPS will offer ideas for policy change that could result in potential cost savings. Impact testing of policy changes will take place as LPS considers alternatives to current transportation. d. School Bell Schedules. LPS will evaluate current school bell schedules and their impact on transportation. Modifications to bell schedules that would provide U-46 with greater efficiency will be tested and elaborated as LPS considers alternatives to current transportation. e. Routing and Scheduling Personnel. The areas of responsibility for key individuals involved in routing and scheduling or those dedicated as support to the routing and scheduling process, including dispatch, will be will be examined and detailed. The transportation department will then be evaluated for staffing levels and appropriate assignments and responsibilities against best practices, and against Districts of similar size, taking into account the unique complexity of U-46 transportation including the number of annual route changes.
f. Extra Curricular and Field Trip Transportation. As part of the study, LPS will provide a thorough examination of transportation outside the home-to-school venue. Areas for examination include: The policies and procedures for how trips are requested and by whom. Inter-District reimbursement for trips. How trips are assigned/offered to drivers. What, if any, tracking software is used to schedule and monitor field trips. How equipment is assigned to field trips. What, if any, efficiencies could be derived by making internal changes to the way field trips are handled. 2. Effectiveness and Efficiency a. Report the current state and key statistics of all current student transportation routes and individual rider groups (a group of students that ride on the bus at the same time. Depending on school district policy, these groups may be comprised of exclusive grade level or other groups [e.g. elementary, middle, HS, magnet, mainstreamed special education] or combinations thereof). This will include summary information for such items as time, miles and ridership both at the route level and at the rider group level. Comparison against neighboring districts will be offered, along with consultant commentary based on best practice analysis. Analysis of summer school transportation will be included in this area. b. Optimize bus routes for each rider group using maximum time and capacity parameters (per current U-46 policy). Combine bus routes into an optimal fleet schedule solution using the current bell schedule. This optimization will be performed with no changes to current student bus stop assignments, bus stop locations, or rider groupings. The goal of this step is to provide U-46 officials a benchmark optimal solution to measure against its current operations. This will also serve as a comparison to solutions generated in subsequent phases of this project that recommend possible cost savings. 3. Alternatives to the present means by which transportation services are provided a. LPS will use the knowledge gained in the consideration of current student transportation policies and bell schedules to formulate transportation alternatives that could drive cost savings for the District. Alternatives will be detailed and an estimate of service impacts and financial impacts based on route, time and mileage reductions will be provided. LPS will use the U-46 owned VersaTrans system to model alternatives. Modeling will occur to the extent necessary to provide impact estimates. OUT OF SCOPE Data remediation of the VersaTrans system. As outlined above, this proposal assumes that the data files provided from the VersaTrans system accurately reflect student route assignments, routing, stops, etc. If LPS needs to update VersaTrans routing data to complete analyses, this work would be performed on a time and materials basis, to be decided. An examination of areas within the transportation department that are outside of the routing function. These include but are not limited to management, safety, maintenance, physical plant, budget and financials.
LPS will make recommendations to routing that may result in reduced routing time or a reduced number of buses deployed. However, LPS will not assess the financial impact of such recommendations. Execution and implementation of any recommendations stemming from the study will be the responsibility of the School District.
Pricing The fee for the LPS services outlined in this proposal is $30,000. This fee does not include travel expenses incurred through the delivery of these services. Travel is invoiced at cost. For budgetary purposes, travel cost for the project is estimated at $8,000. A payment of $10,000 is required within seven days of an executed contract. The balance of the fee, including travel expenses to be invoiced upon completion of the services and is due within 30 days of receipt.
Report Samples IMPORTANT NOTE The sample reports provided herein are being furnished to satisfy requirements in the Request for Proposal. These reports contain information about our approach and methodologies that we consider proprietary. For this reason, we request that said documentation only be shared as needed with required and appropriate resources at the Illinois School District U-46 for the sole purpose of evaluating and assessing LPS qualifications to perform the work proposed. Any other use of said documentation requires the written consent of LPS.