Taunton School Committee Awards $67 Million Bus Contract to H&L Bloom

TAUNTON -- March 4, 2026, Taunton School Committee awards $67.1 million, five-year bus contract to H&L Bloom, Inc. The committee voted unanimously at its March 4 meeting to award the transportation contract to H&L Bloom, the lowest of two qualifying bids, after four of six submissions were disqualified as defective and non-responsive; runner-up NRT Bus came in at $68,539,504.04, roughly $1.4 million more. Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Monahan noted the contract locks in cost-of-living adjustments for all five years, shielding the district from fuel price volatility. The committee also approved a $52,000 final payment to Taunton Area School to Career, closing out the district's relationship with the organization and yielding an estimated $75,000 in savings against the original $125,000 fiscal year 2026 allocation. A planned executive session covering superintendent contract negotiations was tabled 5-1 after member Greg DeMello argued the posted agenda described action the committee had confirmed it would not take, citing the district's recent history of open meeting law inquiries. Performing Arts Coordinator Corey Beltram reported that the district's 508-instrument loan program supports a music enrollment representing 19 percent of Taunton High School students, who earn 79 percent A's and B's compared with 62 percent district-wide.