The Great Falls Public Schools board amended their contract with Big Sky Bus lines during their June 26 meeting.

GFPS has contracted with Big Sky Bus Lines since 1982.

The latest five-year contract was approved in July 2022.

The bus company contact the district about the possibility of opening the existing contract to increase driver wages since they’d have difficulty getting enough drivers to cover their 66 routes, according to the district.

GFPS approves new bus contract

The existing contract provided for an annual per route base increase of three percent in the first year of the contract followed by an annual three percent increase in each of the remaining contract years, according to GFPS.

Big Sky Bus Lines requested a 6 percent flat rate percentage increase in the second year of the contract, followed by the regular three percent increases in each year of the contract thereafter, according to GFPS.

The contract language will require that the funds are directly tied to increasing driver wages since a driver shortage affects the district, according to GFPS.

The contract has traditionally been 180 days but with recent adjustments to the school calendar, there are now 177 student contract days, so the amended contract also reflects that change, according to GFPS.

With the current 66 bus routes, the contract change is an estimated increased cost of $273.52 per bus or $93,105.54 for the upcoming school year with a total cost of $3.19 million. The following year, with the same number of routes, the increased cost is $95,792.40 for a total cost of $3.29 million.