Members of the School Committee expressed frustration Wednesday with the Board of Selectmen's vote to allow Town Administrator Mark Andrews to get "reverse auction" bids for the school bus contract.

The vote, taken at Tuesday night's Selectmen meeting, allows Andrews to put the bus contract out to bid, with private bus companies competing for the contract. School transportation is traditionally handled by the School Committee, but Selectman Brenda Eckstrom presented an opinion from Town Counsel Kopelman and Paige that said the action was allowed.

"For them to go ahead and take a vote for a reverse auction ... was a slap in the face to this entire [School] Committee and the [Transportation Advisory] Committee," said School Committee member Kenneth Fontes at the committee's Wednesday evening meeting. Fontes chairs the Transportation Advisory Committee. He said the School Committee was not aware that the discussion or the vote would take place.

The Transportation Advisory Committee was set up by School Committee Chair Cliff Sylvia in May to examine the district's busing operation after concerns arose about the state of the district's aging bus fleet. It would then present its findings and recommendations to the School Committee, and eventually the Board of Selectmen, Fontes said.

Over the summer, in addition to examining the operations of the Transportation Department, the advisory committee interviewed and helped select a new Transportation Manager for the School Department.

The committee was suspended, but not disbanded, this month, in an effort to give the Transportation Manager a chance "get his feet wet" in his new position, Fontes said, adding that he planned to call the committee back together this fall to begin the process of requesting proposals for the bus contract.

Fontes stressed that the process should not be rushed and that all options should be considered, as it could result in the loss of jobs for Transportation Department employees.

The Transportation Advisory Committee, which includes School Committee member Geoff Swett in addition to Fontes, as well as Town Administrator Mark Andrews, Selectman Brenda Eckstrom, Finance Committee member Richard Paulsen, and Wareham resident and parent Michael Schneider, was meant to "bridge the gap between the School Committee and the community at-large," including other town boards, as well as parents and citizens, and to "get as much input and be as transparent as possible," Sylvia said.

"I think that what happened yesterday was the process, the openness, that we tried to set up, was bushwhacked," Sylvia said.