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Board approves purchase of 71-passenger bus after staff cites driver safety and accessibility features
Summary
Milan Area Schools voted 7-0 to buy a 71-passenger bus from Midwest Transit Equipment for about $149,000, selecting a model with a knob-activated emergency brake to reduce repetitive strain for drivers. Delivery is expected next school year and funding may come from sinking funds depending on timing.
The Milan Area Schools Board approved the purchase of a 71-passenger bus from Midwest Transit Equipment as detailed in the meeting attachment, voting unanimously 7-0 at the March 12, 2025 meeting.
District staff told the board the purchase is part of the district's regular bus replacement cycle; prices have risen because of updated factory standards. The staff presentation noted that the bus being recommended costs roughly $149,000 and was procured through a Michigan bid process. The district is recommending a model that costs about $4,000 more than the least expensive option because it includes a knob-activated emergency (parking) brake rather than a lever or foot-actuated mechanism.
A staff member explained the safety and ergonomic reasoning: drivers engage the parking brake every time they stop to pick up a student, often many times per day, and a foot- or arm-lever design increases repetitive strain for some drivers. "If you think about setting your parking brake 80, 90, a hundred times a day, it starts to put stress on your joints," the presenter said, noting several drivers had requested an easier mechanism.
Board members asked about funding. A board member asked whether the purchase would be charged to the sinking fund; staff said the bus is not in this year's budget and funding will depend on the district's available sinking fund balance when the vehicle is delivered. Staff said buses are normally delivered in July but that this order could be delayed until November, making it possible the district could use sinking fund dollars if available at that time. No delivery date was guaranteed.
The motion to approve the purchase was made by board member Farrow and supported by student board member Haika. The recorded vote was unanimous in favor: Pryor — yes; Syslo — yes; Burdett — yes; Farrow — yes; Gutierrez — yes; Haika — yes; Marais — yes. Motion carried 7-0.
Details of the purchase are in the board packet attachment A; the board did not approve specific financing terms at the meeting.
