The Madison County School Board discussed a revised five-year proposal to replace diesel school buses with electric vehicles during its Dec. 1 workshop but did not move forward with a purchase decision.

Contract concerns: Board members and staff noted the proposal includes a payout provision for early cancellation and recapture clauses tied to federal grants. Speaker 7 explained the recapture risk: grants intended to retire diesel buses often require the retired vehicles be rendered unusable so they cannot be resold, which would eliminate expected resale revenue for replaced buses.

Fleet and cost picture: District transportation and finance staff presented fleet metrics and operating-cost estimates. Finance staff reported the district has 30 buses (22 active, eight in reserve), with ages ranging from model-year 2000s to recent units and eight buses still under warranty. Annual per-bus estimates given in the workshop were about $5,000 for fuel and roughly $4,000 for maintenance.

Fiscal recommendation: Finance staff summarized the numbers and said Hyland’s revised quote was time-limited; after analysis they concluded the district is not in urgent need of eight new vehicles and that near-term budget pressures (including upcoming retroactive salary increases) make a large lease or purchase unwise. Finance staff stated plainly: "I'm recommending that we do not enter into this contract." The board agreed to table the item and re-evaluate the proposal in the coming year.

What was debated: Board members asked whether the vendor would accept buying fewer than the full package; staff said Hyland required the full set and would not split the order. Staff also discussed alternatives such as buying one or two buses locally using capital-improvement funds rather than entering a lease that includes interest costs.

Next steps: The board tabled the proposal for further analysis; staff will continue to assess procurement options and return with additional options and clarified contract language, including any specific EPA or grant-related requirements.

There was no formal vote taken on the contract at the workshop.