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Syosset includes three-bus purchase in proposed budget as district weighs hybrid fleet
Summary
District officials included an allocation for three buses in the proposed 2025'6 budget and said analysis shows a roughly three-year breakeven if state aid (about 36% reimbursement) holds; administrators said they will return with detailed recommendations while transportation contract negotiations continue.
Syosset Central School District administrators said the proposed 2025'6 budget includes an allocation to purchase three buses and outlined a plan to operate a hybrid fleet combining in-house vehicles with contracted services.
The district presented an analysis indicating that, with estimated state-aid reimbursement of about 36% on bus purchases and assuming a 10-year vehicle life, the purchase of three buses would reach breakeven in roughly three years. The presentation said the analysis included operating costs such as drivers' salaries, parts and inspections, and estimated insurance.
The district explained that most of its transportation has been contracted historically; the change is intended to help control future cost escalations and gain routing flexibility for field trips, athletics and runs that require smaller buses for neighborhood streets. The administration said it would "cherry pick" the most cost-effective routes for the initial in-house vehicles to maximize savings.
Board members asked whether the bus cost estimates accounted for service contracts, insurance and driver salaries. A district administrator said the breakeven calculation includes all anticipated operating costs and that drivers' salaries were contemplated in recent collective bargaining discussions.
Administrators discussed electric buses and noted concerns about cost, vehicle weight, charging infrastructure and the higher purchase price (presented as about $400,000 for an electric bus versus $250,000 for a diesel bus in the discussion). They also noted New York State restrictions that will limit diesel purchases after 2027 but allow those buses purchased before the restriction to operate for their expected useful lives.
The administration said it had monitored a neighboring district that started with two owned buses and expanded a hybrid model over time. Administrators told trustees they will continue negotiations on contracted transportation and return with a detailed recommendation and a financial analysis prior to further purchases.
No formal board vote on the bus purchases was recorded in the provided transcript; the allocation appears in the proposed budget and final action depends on board adoption of that budget.
