Preston – Contracting out school bus transportation services with DATTCO would save the Preston school district $221,821 in operating costs over five years, not including the town’s cost to replace the aging school bus fleet, school administrators have determined.

The district received three transportation service bids Nov. 5 and analyzed the top two proposals from DATTCO and Student Transportation of America. The five-year contract would run from the 2016-17 school year through 2020-21.

Figures reviewed by the board’s transportation committee this week showed that the five-year cost of a contract with DATTCO would total $5,596,417, while the town’s cost to continue operating its own bus fleet was projected at $5,818,238. DATTCO would buy the town’s bus fleet for $46,000, factored into the first year of the contract.

The local operating cost projections include adding seat belts to all town school buses in the 2018-19 school year, anticipating a possible federal regulation requiring seat belts in school buses, Superintendent John Welch said.

School Finance Director John Spang said if the town outsources the bus contract, the vendor would have to add seat belts if they are required at no added cost to the town.

The bid analysis will be presented Thursday to school bus union leaders, the Connecticut State Employees Association-Service Employees International Union (CSEA-SEUI) Local 2001. By contract, the union has the opportunity to present an alternative proposal, due by Jan. 6, Welch said. The Board of Education is expected to vote on whether to outsource school bus transportation at its February meeting.

The issue has divided the board, and some parents have staunchly defended local employment of bus drivers. The board vote was 4-3 in October to launch a new feasibility study.

Welch and Spang said the bid specification would require the contractor to hire all current school transportation employees “provided they meet all federal and state licensing requirements,” which they already must meet, Welch said. Preston has 15 drivers, one mechanic, a bus coordinator and an assistant to the coordinator.

Union officials were not available Wednesday for comment on the study.

Part of the cost savings was the $18,000 per year in rent DATTCO would pay to house the buses at the town bus garage and yard behind Preston Veterans’ Memorial School — a requirement in the bid specification.

Not factored into the $221,821 savings is the projected $75,000 in motor vehicle tax revenue the town would receive because the buses would be registered in Preston. The motor vehicle tax revenue is listed in a separate sheet outlining “economic factors” not included in the contract.

The economic factors include the projected town capital budget cost of $1.85 million to replace buses over the same five-year period. The town has 11, 2006 65-passenger buses, three older 65-passenger buses — 1999, 2000 and 2001 — one 23-passenger 2005 van and three 2011 seven-passenger Dodge Caravans.

None of those buses would be used in Preston by a new contractor, Welch said.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday