Perryton ISD board authorizes purchase of new buses, vans and vehicles

The PERRYTON ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to authorize purchases intended to begin replacing an aging district fleet, approving a 46-passenger ranger bus and a 40-passenger white activity bus for the 2024–25 school year and allotting approximately $110,000 to acquire a used 14-passenger van and a car.

The action, moved and seconded during the board’s business meeting, also instructs the superintendent to plan purchases for the 2025–26 budget year: a second 40-passenger white bus and a 71-passenger Bluebird yellow activity bus with a 240-horsepower engine. The motion carried 7-0.

Board members and staff framed the purchases as a response to a long-running need. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time…we are now beginning the process of tackling that coming problem,” Superintendent Brown said as he outlined the recommendation. He told the board the district received voter-approved tax-rate funding intended in part for transportation and that the district could use available surplus or fund-balance money for some purchases this year.

Why it matters: Board members said continued delays would mean higher prices and more breakdowns. During the discussion trustees and staff described the district’s current mix of vehicles — Ranger buses used for long trips because of storage and seating, yellow activity and route buses, and smaller vans — and explained how new purchases would let the district reposition existing buses for routes or activity use.

Key details from the discussion and staff recommendations: - Vehicle items approved for 2024–25: one 46-passenger Ranger bus (flat-nose model) and one 40-passenger Bluebird-style white activity bus; approximately $110,000 allocated for a used 14-passenger van and a car (best-value search allowed). The board authorized the superintendent to complete those purchases subject to vendor selection and available funding. - Planned purchases for 2025–26: one 40-passenger white activity bus and one 71-passenger Bluebird yellow activity bus with a 240-horsepower engine (the board asked staff to include these in the 2025–26 budget and to consider ordering timelines now because lead times can be 9–16 months). - Estimated unit prices discussed: the board heard a price “about $270,000” for a Ranger bus, and that some 40-passenger buses are materially less expensive (discussion cited roughly a $85,000 difference between some models). Exact vendor pricing was not finalized in the meeting. - Funding sources discussed: the superintendent referenced the district’s voter-approved tax-rate proceeds (referred to in materials as VADER funds), current-year surplus and fund balance as available sources. The board agreed some of the purchases could be paid from current-year savings and that the district would budget for additional buses in 2025–26. - Equipment and options: trustees and staff discussed seat materials (vinyl vs. cloth), reclining seats (not widely available as factory option), underbelly storage, USB chargers, roof-mounted flush A/C units, camera systems compatibility, Wi-Fi on activity buses, and cost implications of camera systems and subscriptions. Staff warned that the district’s existing camera system would not support the newer camera packages without additional purchases.

Operational and maintenance context: Board members pressed staff on maintenance capacity, parking/storage limits for retired vehicles, and a plan for reassigning buses so older, high-mileage buses do not simply accumulate on district property. Superintendent Brown and staff said they are tracking buses with major, known issues and will continue to prioritize purchases to reduce breakdowns that leave teams stranded on long trips.

Quote: “The longer we wait, the more expensive they’re gonna get, the more buses we’ll have broke down,” a board member said, supporting immediate purchases.

Next steps and timeline: Staff will proceed with vendor selection and purchase within the approved authorizations, prioritize delivery and equipment compatibility (notably camera systems), and include two additional buses in next year’s budget planning to meet long lead times for certain models. The board recorded the motion authorizing purchases and budgeting direction as carried 7-0.

Ending: The board did not finalize paint/branding details at the meeting; trustees said they will provide design direction to vendors if they move to a new livery over several years.