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Board approves 10 new buses and several transportation vendor contracts; transcript shows inconsistent arithmetic on totals
Summary
The board approved purchasing 10 new 72‑passenger buses from Rush Truck Centers International and awarded multiple service and fuel contracts; the meeting transcript records a per‑bus bid of $145,000 and a conflicting total figure that does not match the per‑unit price.
Barrow County Schools’ board approved several transportation procurements Tuesday, including the purchase of 10 new 72‑passenger buses and a suite of vendor contracts for repairs, fuel, tires and fleet services.
Why it matters: buses and fleet maintenance are essential to start‑of‑school operations; several multi‑year contracts carry estimated annual costs that affect the district’s general fund.
Jason Ayers, the district’s director of transportation, presented the procurement slate. He said Rush Truck Centers International was the lone bidder for 10 new 72‑passenger International buses at a per‑bus price of $145,000 and that the board approved buying those buses during the meeting. The transcript records the per‑bus bid as $145,000, but also reports a total purchase figure of $11,450,000 for 10 buses; that arithmetic does not align with the per‑unit price (145,000 × 10 = $1,450,000). The transcript includes both numbers; staff did not reconcile the discrepancy during the meeting. (Staff follow‑up is recommended for precise accounting.)
Ayers also presented and the board approved multiple vendor and bid recommendations to support fleet operations, including: a pool of outsourced bus‑repair vendors (estimated $500,000 per year); a three‑year fuel, petroleum and lubrication award to Basel Oil Company (bid rates cited: $1.96/gallon gasoline and $2.63/gallon diesel; estimated $1,200,000 per year); parts and shop‑supply vendor approvals (estimated $775,000 per year); Southern Tire Mart for fleet tires (estimated $200,000 per year); Connor Automotive for the district’s white‑fleet service (estimated $80,000 per year); continued use of WEX fuel cards (estimated $400,000 per year) and ongoing CalAmp/Sunovia tablet licenses for fleet tablets (estimated $160,000 per year).
Ayers noted the transportation department currently operates roughly 212 school buses with six mechanics and that each bus requires inspection and routine service. The contracts are three‑year awards with potential annual cost increases tied to inflation and other market factors, he said.
The board approved the bus purchase and the vendor pools in open session. District staff acknowledged they will need to follow up to reconcile quoted totals and to manage scheduling and vendor capacity for repairs.
