FARMINGTON — Bids from two companies to provide private bus transportation for students were reviewed by the school board Tuesday but no decision will be made until there is ample discussion with the community and employees, board members agreed.

Changing to a private contractor would mean Regional School Unit 9’s current 23 bus drivers, three mechanics and two car drivers would be laid off. While many would be rehired by the new company, most of the jobs would be part-time.

A number of transportation and custodial workers were in the audience but board Chair Mark Prentiss said public comments would be heard at the next meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, in the Mt. Blue Middle School cafeteria.

Another contentious issue coming up next week will be the proposal to privatize custodial services as another way to save money. The district has 33 full and part-time custodians, some who work as part-time bus drivers to bring their hours up to full time.

David Leavitt, director of support services, will present the bids for that contract at the April 21 school board meeting.

Two bids for busing services were submitted — one from NorthEast Charter based in Auburn and the other from First Student, the nation’s largest private school busing contractor.

Leavitt estimated that over the next three years, First Student would save the district about $464,500 while the three-year savings would be about $750,670 with NorthEast Charter.

He said he asked a representative from NorthEast about their salary scale and benefits.

“He told me they pay health benefits for full time workers,” he said, noting that most drivers would likely be hired part-time.

The company would hire two full-time mechanics and one full-time and one part-time manager.

“The first ones to be interviewed for the jobs would be our current employees,” Leavitt said he was told.

“And they said salaries would be competitive because they said they want good quality people,” he said.

“Their drivers work five- to six-hour days during the school year and are part time. Eight to 10 drivers would be year-round employees,” he said.

The company would also lease the district’s current bus fleet and the maintenance garage. Leavitt said he believed First Student would also lease the buses and rent the building but they left that out, an omission he said he would clear up this week.

Director Bob Flick of Farmington asked why NorthEast and First Student had such a spread on their bids.

“Less benefits,” Director Clair Andrews of Farmington said.

Dr. Iris Silverstein, a director from Farmington, said her big concern was for the safety and well-being of students. She asked about background checks and said the board needed time to go over any contract and to check references.

Leavitt said the contract would lay out the hiring and conduct requirements, including a criminal background check and fingerprinting.

Prentiss commended Leavitt for a thorough job and for putting in so much time to gather the information.

At an earlier meeting, no one on the board appeared to support contracting out these key services because it meant the loss of jobs and benefits for a large number of employees.

But since the idea was suggested by many in the community as a way of saving money, board members said they were obligated to look into into it.

“We have to show the taxpayers if there will be a savings,” Prentiss said.

Also on Tuesday, objections were voiced by teachers at Cascade Brook School and by parents to the administration’s plan to move one fifth- and one sixth-grade teacher to W.G. Mallett School in Farmington and to Cape Cod Hill School. Both those elementary schools are expected to have a larger enrollments next year.

The proposed 2011-12 school budget is expected to increase by 15 percent over the current year to $25.4 million, with most of that increase due to the new two school construction projects. More than 95 percent of that debt will be paid by the Department of Education but the expense has to be included in the budget.

The school board will continue its budget review in the coming weeks. A public hearing will be held in May and a referendum vote will be held June 1.