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Transportation supervisor proposes nearly $1M bus replacement plan; EV buses slated for later budget discussion
Summary
Supervisor Nicole Arteta presented a bus replacement proposal, new driver-training programs and staff recognitions; the district excluded EV buses from the immediate purchase and will present any EV proposal in the March 13 budget presentation.
Nicole Arteta, supervisor for transportation for the HYDE PARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, presented a departmental snapshot and a bus replacement proposal to the board, and outlined new driver training and employee-recognition initiatives.
Arteta told the board the district’s fleet travels about 7,903 miles every school day (about 1,422,461 miles per year), drives roughly 346 hours daily (about 62,268 hours per school year) and transports 3,481 students each day. The transportation team she supervises includes about 125 employees with roughly six vacancies and six or seven staff on leave.
On vehicle purchases, Arteta said the replacement plan presented that night did not include electric vehicles. The proposed purchases were one seven-passenger minivan, one 30-passenger van, one wheelchair-accessible van and four 66-passenger buses for a total purchase price of $975,075. She said the district expects 58.4% state aid on bus purchases, bringing the district’s net cost to about $405,631. Arteta also said any EV-specific proposals from the EV committee will be brought forward to the board as part of the March 13 budget presentation.
Training, staffing and recognition: Arteta introduced two newly created head bus driver positions, naming Linda Lawler to lead state-compliance work and Colleen Lawrence to lead development of a comprehensive training program for drivers and monitors. She described a multi-tiered training program that includes new-hire foundational training, skill-refresher sessions for current staff and regular professional-development workshops. Arteta said the district purchased a single comprehensive training product and is breaking the curriculum into modules for new hires and ongoing staff development.
Operational notes and equipment: Arteta described the launch of a driver/monitor safety program, monthly recognition events (February’s “Love the Bus Month”) and plans to measure staff feedback response rates as part of a two-way communications push. She also outlined a new routing software proposal (to be purchased through BOCES) that she said should save about $31,000 because the routing vendor will provide tablets and offset some other equipment purchases.
Issues raised in board discussion: A later board conversation noted the district is unlikely to pursue a long-term lease option from a vendor called Highland Fleet because a lease would require an extended commitment (eight to 12 years in proposals discussed) and make a voter proposition far more costly. Board members also raised a battery-drain problem on one electric bus linked to an installed camera system; staff said modal testing and a meeting with bus patrol, the camera vendor and the bus seller were scheduled to troubleshoot whether the camera system or the vehicle electrical configuration caused 12‑volt battery drainage.
Ending: Arteta closed by citing recent praise from parents in emails and said the district’s investment in training and recognition is intended to maintain low absenteeism and improve reliability and student attendance.
