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Board approves purchase of two special‑education buses amid fleet retirements
Summary
The board approved purchasing two special‑education buses from Mid South Bus Center for $280,000 to replace aging vehicles that must be retired under district mileage/age rules; the motion passed 7–0.
The Lawrence County Board of Education approved the purchase of two special‑education buses from Mid South Bus Center at a total cost of $280,000. The district said the purchase is needed because several older buses will reach the district’s service limit this summer.
District staff explained the district retires buses after 18 years or 200,000 miles; staff said the district will lose six buses this summer under that standard and that ongoing increases in bus prices have prompted a legislative push to extend mileage limits. The board was told the district added a special‑needs route and now has only one spare special‑education bus, increasing the urgency for replacements.
Finance: staff said the purchases were budgeted in the current fiscal year: two of four buses budgeted for the cycle are being purchased now; two more are expected later in the year to offset vehicles being retired.
Why it matters: reliable special‑education transportation affects student services and daily operations; purchasing replaces vehicles that can no longer legally transport students.
Action: the motion to approve the vendor and purchase was moved by Dryden and seconded by Watson, and the board approved by roll call, 7–0.
Provenance: Discussion begins with the purchase presentation (transcript segment ~s:3278.09) and ends with the roll call that approved the purchase (transcript segment ~s:3619.58).
