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Tahlequah transportation director praises safety record and outlines fleet, camera and leasing plans
Summary
Transportation Director Paul Martin reported a long accident-free workday streak, detailed fleet size and usage, described in-bus camera installations and discussed lease-versus-own tradeoffs for buses during the board meeting.
Transportation Director Paul Martin gave a detailed report to the Tahlequah Public Schools Board about fleet operations, safety and equipment needs, emphasizing the department's role in keeping students safe and on schedule.
"We've got a nice streak going of accident free. It's actually 258 workdays," Paul Martin told the board, adding that a minor incident last month ended that streak but caused no injuries. Martin said the department runs about 1,100 miles daily across roughly 20 routes and tallied 307 trips totaling 51,041 miles for the semester when combining buses and other vehicles.
Martin described the fleet as "right at 30 buses," plus 5 vans, 3 SUVs and 6 cars, and said about 60 people in the district hold commercial driver licenses (CDLs). He told the board that four buses are leased and the rest are owned; the district reduced its lease count after buying buses with COVID-era funds. On leasing versus owning, Martin said leases keep equipment newer but can expose the district to lease-return charges for minor wear.
The district has installed surveillance systems on route buses. Martin estimated camera system installations previously cost "6 or 7,000 dollars" per bus when purchased with the dedicated unit and installation; the district has been cycling older systems out and upgrading route buses. He said the camera systems include multiple cameras, audio capability and on-board storage.
Martin also praised the mechanics and the maintenance team for performing most repairs in-house despite a small shop space, and described creative uses for a shop truck that serves as a mobile repair and emergency-response vehicle at events. The board and other speakers commended the transportation staff for reliability and safety practices.
What board members asked: Members asked how many buses are leased versus owned and whether the district should favor leasing to get newer equipment; Martin recommended a mixed approach that several similarly sized districts in the state appear to use.
Next steps: The board accepted the report and thanked the transportation staff; no formal motion or budgetary appropriation was made from this presentation alone.
