School committee approves assistant transportation director, OKs $100,000 transfer to buy facilities vehicles

The Brockton School Committee voted May 6 to create an assistant director of transportation position and approved a $100,000 journal transfer to purchase three facilities vehicles from the district surplus fund.

Superintendent Dr. Tulliani told the committee that, after audits and interviews, the district had identified strong candidates for a director and assistant director of transportation and wanted to move quickly to extend offers. She said district officials plan to keep transportation operations in‑house for at least another year while executing a multi‑year plan intended to improve routing and reduce costs.

Committee members who had taken part in the interview process said they supported hiring both a director and an assistant director, citing routing and cost‑saving expertise. Committee Member Gomes, who served on the interviewing panel, urged the committee to approve the assistant director position during the meeting so the district could extend an offer to a qualified candidate.

The committee approved the assistant director position for FY25 by roll call and later approved the FY26 HR generalists and other items. The vote on the assistant director position was recorded as unanimous.

On vehicle purchases, the superintendent said three district facilities box trucks are no longer maintainable and requested a $100,000 transfer from the district’s surplus (net school spending carryover) to cover procurement and make vehicles ready for the next school year. Committee members discussed the age and condition of trucks and asked procurement questions; the superintendent said staff had identified market options in the $30,000 range for the vehicles sought and that a corrected procurement plan would be followed. Committee Member Sullivan asked whether the district should buy newer trucks to avoid ongoing repair costs; the superintendent said staff would pursue appropriate procurement options, including state contract listings, to balance upfront cost and long-term reliability.

The transfer motion to purchase facilities vehicles passed unanimously. Committee members also discussed transportation staffing needs identified in a TAS audit; the superintendent said the upcoming budget will include requests for additional mechanics and other positions to support an aging fleet and increase in-house capacity.

Next steps: the district will move forward with recruitment for the director/assistant director roles and proceed through procurement channels (state contract/vendor lists or bids) for the vehicles; the superintendent said more staffing additions will appear in the FY26 budget.