District weighs Enterprise Fleet lease to replace aging vehicles; 16-vehicle recommendation proposed

Enterprise Fleet Management representatives presented a proposed lease plan to replace the Gadsden County School District's ageing "white fleet" vehicles, recommending an initial focus on 16 of the oldest units to improve safety and lower maintenance costs.

The proposal, delivered by Simon Ortega and a colleague identified as Gene, was framed as a financial and operational alternative to continuing to operate a largely out-of-warranty fleet. Enterprise's modelling, using district data, estimated current annual maintenance at about $56,000 for the fleet and indicated the district's combined capital, maintenance and fuel spend without a leasing program would be roughly $171,000 per year. Enterprise proposed a 10-year replacement model that would shorten vehicle life cycles from the district's current average of 14.2 years to approximately five years and conserve an estimated $75,490 over ten years while freeing about…