A hometown bus company lost its bid to transport students in the Gillett School District for the 2015-16 school year and beyond.
The Gillett School Board on May 27 selected the low bid of Lamers Bus Lines Inc., of Green Bay, over a proposal by Gary James Transport, of Gillett, who provided bus service in the district since 1979, and Johnson Bus Service, based in West Bend.
Gillett Superintendent Todd Carlson said the district was looking for cost efficiency.
“With restraints now from the state, and funding, I think you really have to make sure you’re doing things as efficiently as what you can,” he said.
The district sought bids for its nine regular routes, which cover about 550 miles a day, plus a noon 4-year-old kindergarten route, two special education routes and extracurricular transportation. Four companies submitted bids, and three were interviewed by the district’s transportation committee.
The School Board accepted the low bid of $462,642 from Lamers Bus Lines Inc. for a five-year contract. The bids from Johnson Bus Service and Gary James Transport were $486,925 and $526,293 respectively.
Carlson said the district was extremely happy with the service provided by Gary James Transport and owners Richard and Linda Rademann.
“Rich and Linda Rademann are just salt-of-the-earth people. They really are fantastic people. They serviced the district very, very well,” he said.
He said it was a tough decision for the School Board to make.
In a statement to the Times Herald, Richard and Linda Rademann said their “mom and pop” business could not compete with a larger company like Lamers Bus Lines Inc.
“We understand the district’s budget has been very tight in the past years and realize they did what they felt was necessary for the taxpayers of the Gillett School District,” the statement said. “We were so very blessed to have a bus driver staff that was dependable, loyal and most important, safety conscious at all times. Some of our drivers have been with the company for 30-plus years! Our hope is that all who wish to continue driving school bus will be hired by the new company.”
Gary James Transport, 203 W. Park St., Gillett, employs 16 people, including the Rademanns. They purchased the company in 1999 from Gail and Gary James, who founded the company in 1979.
Linda Rademann told the Times Herald everything will be liquidated, and she and her husband, both 63 years old, are unsure of their plans.
“We leave with mixed emotions. We are grateful we had the opportunity to serve the Gillett School District and have 16 safe years of transporting students to and from school and extracurricular events,” they wrote in their statement.
A spokesperson for Lamers Bus Lines Inc. said the company is not talking publicly about its plans for bus transportation because negotiations are under way with Gary James Transport.
Lamers Bus Lines has provided transportation for the Suring School District since 1985.
