Board reviews purchase of four 78-seat buses; trustees ask about 90-passenger efficiency
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Summary
Staff proposed buying four International buses (78-capacity) on state contract with delivery expected in December and a total cost for the four buses presented as $620,000; trustees raised questions about whether 90-passenger buses might be more efficient on some local routes.
District staff told the school board the district plans to purchase four new International buses with air conditioning, each with a seating capacity of 78 and expected delivery in December. The vendor is on the Georgia state contract and the buses would include a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, a five-year powertrain warranty, a backup camera, digital cameras and a collision-mitigation system.
Staff presented a total purchase price for the four buses of $620,000 and described funding sources as Georgia DOE allocations and district transportation funding. One trustee asked why the district was not buying any 90-passenger buses for short neighborhood trips, noting larger buses might reduce the number of drivers needed. Staff responded that the district already has four 90-passenger buses but that maneuverability in neighborhood streets makes larger buses impractical for some routes.
Board members asked staff to consider the tradeoffs when ordering buses next year and to report whether trip-storage capacity and luggage provisions for overnight travel should be reinstated for designated trip buses.
Next steps: the bus purchase was presented for information and will return for formal approval; staff will continue to evaluate bus-size tradeoffs for future purchases.