Board approves surplus of older buses; district says fleet retains 20 spares

The board approved placing multiple older buses and one inoperable all-terrain vehicle into surplus after staff reported repair estimates and fleet considerations. District staff explained some buses had estimated repair costs in the low thousands (one at about $5,000, another at about $8,000) while other vehicles had more complex electrical and braking problems that could exceed earlier estimates. The facilities/transportation administrator told trustees that, given recent routing changes and the size of the fleet, surplusing these older units would still leave the district with about 20 spare buses in the yard. The district also said three new diesel buses are expected to arrive imminently. Why it matters: The surplus decision affects transportation capacity, maintenance costs and yard storage. Trustees pressed staff about the repair estimates and whether it was more cost-effective to repair or replace several units. Board action: Trustees moved and seconded the surplus recommendation and approved it by voice vote; the motion carried without recorded opposition at the time of the vote. Details and next steps: District staff will remove surplus buses from inventory and determine disposition; staff also noted that most existing buses are gasoline-powered and that the three incoming new buses are diesel.