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Ascension Parish committee weighs leasing vs. buying 63 school buses amid rising fuel and repair costs
Summary
Transportation staff told the committee the current fuel budget is $1,740,000 and outlined two options for 63 leased buses: continue leases (presenter summarized a $21.7M operating profile) or buy the 63 buses (presenter cited a $4.1M buyout and a $24.15M operating profile). Members asked staff to model buying a larger batch of new buses and return with financial detail.
Presenter told the Ascension Parish committee that the transportation program is managing an aging fleet and tight operating margins as leases come up for renewal. "So the total budget was $1,740,000 for our fuel," the Presenter said, then walked members through spare-vehicle counts, routes and projections for the 2026–27 budget.
Why it matters: committee members were presented with two distinct procurement options for 63 leased buses that will soon come off lease. Presenter summarized Option 1 as continuing leases with an incremental operating increase that the presenter characterized in the briefing materials as producing a roughly $21.7 million operating profile in the 2026–27 plan. For Option 2, Presenter said the buyout cost for the 63 buses would be $4,100,000 and that modeling in the presentation showed a roughly $24.15 million operating profile under that purchase scenario.
Presenter also provided midyear spending details on fuel and servicing, noting seven-month fuel costs of about $800,788 and a year-end fuel projection near $1,200,000. "Our projection is only about 1,200,000," the Presenter said when discussing anticipated fuel spend, adding that service and repair projections were budgeted around $1.5–$1.6 million but could finish the year near $1.7 million depending on maintenance needs.
Committee members pressed staff on several operational details. A committee member (Committee member, S2) asked for confirmation that 68 leased buses are included in the route-fleet count; staff confirmed that figure. Members also raised concerns about vehicle age—Presenter said many units are 17 years or older—and the condition of spare vehicles. On retrofitted air-conditioning units, staff (Staff member, S3) said the current ACs are retrofits rather than factory-installed equipment, and that even some new buses may require retrofit work.
Several committee members asked staff to model additional alternatives before a final decision. One member urged evaluating whether buying a larger block of new buses (for example, another previously purchased batch of 89 buses) would be more cost-effective over time and would accelerate fleet turnover. Presenter said staff will engage finance and vendors to provide clear comparative figures, including phased replacement options, lease expirations and the timing of freed-up payments.
What didn’t happen: the committee did not take a formal vote or adopt a preferred option at the meeting. Staff was directed to return with more detailed financial analysis and procurement scenarios.
Next steps: staff will work with finance and vendors to model buyout versus purchase scenarios, provide per-bus cost breakdowns and clarify how lease expirations and midyear invoice timing affect the 2026–27 operating profile. The committee requested those numbers for a future meeting.
