Board reviews school bus contracts as fuel, maintenance and rental fees push costs higher

Deming — School district staff, two contracted bus companies and board members on July 15 reviewed the district’s “to‑and‑from” transportation contracts and how fuel, maintenance and rental‑fee rules from the state affect local costs.

The discussion focused on three budget drivers: the PED allocation that is based on the state’s 120th‑day ridership count; a negotiated 6% increase the district approved this year for contractor salaries and for the combined operations, maintenance and fuel (OMF) per‑mile payment; and rental fees passed through from PED when buses are replaced.

That 120th‑day reporting, staff said, is a state statutory requirement and counts students who actually rode buses on that single day. "It's because they want as many kids to ride that day as possible," Superintendent Nick said, explaining why local allocations sometimes fall short of projected needs. Patty Treviso, transportation staff, told the board the district reported 2,819 riders on the 120th day; 184 were exceptional‑student riders. Local riders numbered 2,036 and 783 came via the port of entry, she said.

Why the numbers matter: Joe Adcock, district finance staff, showed a spreadsheet mapping PED allocations against contract line items and said the PED allocation to the district rose about 4% this year. District staff and contractors…