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Board approves purchase of three Thomas buses to bolster fleet and spares
Summary
After a detailed presentation on routes, staffing and fleet condition, the board approved buying three rear‑engine Thomas buses (delivery projected Oct. 2025); Transportation Director Matt Moore said purchase will raise dependable fleet capacity and spare availability.
The Bellevue Public Schools Board voted to approve the purchase of three rear‑engine Thomas school buses from Truck Center Companies after a presentation from transportation director Matt Moore on fleet condition, staffing and field‑trip demands.
Moore told the board the district runs roughly 309 daily bus routes (57 preschool, 106 special‑education, 144 general‑education) and projects substantial activity‑trip growth, estimating more than 2,000 activity and academic trips for the 2024–25 school year. He said driver staffing has stabilized somewhat (63 drivers on staff with recent hires) but that the general‑education spare bus ratio remains thin.
“To provide dependable service for long‑distance trips and to preserve spares, we need to increase the number of large, dependable buses,” Moore said, explaining the purchase rationale and operational benefits for athletics, band and career‑center trips.
Moore presented procurement and financing details as discussed with vendors: the district solicited bids from multiple distributors, and the quoted per‑bus range presented was about $181,000–$187,000 before trade‑ins. He said the district planned to trade four older special‑education buses (stated trade‑in amounts were discussed during the presentation) and showed an illustrative net per‑bus figure of $179,437 after trade‑ins and an example three‑year finance option at 7.9% with projected annual payments.
Board members asked about alternatives to financing, vendor selection and whether new buses would enter immediate service. Moore said financing is one option depending on next year’s budget and legislative developments, the purchase went through a bidding process among distributors, and new buses would be vetted by maintenance before being deployed for routes and field trips rather than held only as spares.
A motion to approve the purchase was made and seconded; the board recorded affirmative responses and the motion passed. The district will finalize financing or purchase timing and proceed with maintenance vetting and scheduling for service.
Requested follow‑up items included final contract documentation, confirmation of trade‑in values, and budget accounting for the financing schedule.
