Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Bossier Parish board approves $1.77 million purchase of 12 route buses to accelerate air‑conditioning and fleet renewal
Loading...
Summary
The Bossier Parish board approved a $1,769,720.82 purchase of 12 new 77‑passenger route buses to reduce the number of aging, non‑air‑conditioned vehicles and test two vendors for reliability, district transportation director Aaron McGee said.
Bossier Parish school district officials voted unanimously by voice to approve a $1,769,720.82 purchase of 12 new 77‑passenger route buses, Director of Transportation Aaron McGee told the board during a regular committee meeting. The purchase will be split between Plyler International (Shreveport) and Bluebird, via Ross Bus Sales (Alexandria), to allow the district to compare vendor performance.
McGee said the proposal — to buy 10 standard route buses and two SPED buses with lifts — would allow the district to place air‑conditioned buses on all regular routes this year and begin replacing the oldest vehicles in the fleet. "The cost of the proposal will be $1,769,720.82," McGee said when presenting the recommendation. He told the board the split order is intended to evaluate driver experience, fuel mileage, parts availability and the vendors' ability to respond with loaner buses when breakdowns occur.
The purchase was presented as part of the district's FY2027 general fund procurement plan and follows a recent trend of rising bus prices. McGee cited industry estimates of 5–10% annual increases in bus costs; he offered sample figures ranging from about $134,000 for a non‑SPED bus to roughly $165,000 for a SPED bus with a lift.
Board discussion emphasized the need to accelerate replacement of aging units. A board member who moved the motion noted the district has about 30 buses that are 20 years or older and urged action to avoid a concentration of end‑of‑life retirements in future years. "Proposal 1 seems to make the most sense to start getting those aged buses cycling out," another board member said.
The motion to accept Proposal 1 carried by vocal unanimous approval; the transcript records a voice vote of "yay" with the chair declaring the motion approved but does not include a roll‑call tally of individual votes.
McGee said the district will continue to evaluate costs and vendor performance and will report back on outcomes such as service response times and maintenance needs. The committee adjourned after brief follow‑up questions about bus paint quality and scheduled manufacturer visits by McGee to discuss paint longevity.
