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Board approves two mechanic positions to support bus fleet
Summary
Board approved adding mechanic positions to the transportation department to reduce workload on remaining mechanics and improve on‑road support for drivers.
The Rockingham County Schools Board of Education approved adding mechanic positions to the district’s transportation staff to bolster maintenance capacity for the bus fleet.
Transportation director Mr. Chris Cox told the board the department has lost experienced mechanics to retirement and currently assigns roughly 30–37 buses per mechanic for routine preventative maintenance. "Each mechanic has about 30, 36, 30‑7 buses that they're responsible for," Cox said, and described frequent on‑road calls when drivers encounter vehicle problems.
Mr. Cox and finance staff told the board the positions are eligible for state reimbursement once budgeted and placed ("56 eligible expense"). Board members described the hires as important to maintain service and mentor newer technicians; several members noted recent retirements had reduced in‑house expertise.
A motion to approve the recommendation to add the mechanic positions passed by voice vote. The board directed staff to incorporate the positions in the budget and to pursue reimbursement mechanisms through the state, where applicable.
