There was some dissent among DeKalb School District 428 Board Members Monday night when it came to vote on opening bids for the contract of transportation services for the district.

The district currently has a contract with First Student School Bus Transportation Services.

Board member Jim Mitchell disagreed with opening up the contract because of the obstacles that could occur once the new schools are completed in the next few years.

“Part of my rationale with this is, once we start the process of opening new schools, and the redistricting that will come, that they are going to ask us to re-bid,” Mitchell said. “I would like to see us extend their contract until we’re ready to open up the new schools.”

Superintendent Jim Briscoe said he does not think First Student is doing a bad job, but defended the bidding process.

“The bidding process periodically allows us to keep everybody honest,” Briscoe said. “It’s our responsibility to do it.”

The board eventually passed the motion 4-1. Board secretary Holly Wallace and board member Fred Davis were absent from the meeting. The board also recognized two eighth-grade Huntley Middle School students for placing first and fourth in the DeKalb County Regional Spelling Bee.

Monica Kim placed first, and will be going to Washington, D.C. in May to represent the DeKalb school district in the National Spelling Bee.

Allison Duffin came in fourth in the Bee when she misspelled the word “mattock.”

When board President Mike Verbic asked the students if there is any word they couldn’t spell, Duffin replied, “Obviously there was one.”