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Division briefs board on bus capacity, fleet trade-offs and why boilers appear in the CIP
Summary
Dr. Johnson told the board that typical daily capacity on a 71‑passenger bus is about 47–55 students, that lead times and garage constraints influence bus sizing decisions, and that boiler replacements placed in the CIP are justified by technical failures and the high cost of temporary repairs.
Dr. Johnson presented transportation and CIP details to the Page County School Board on April 23, explaining bus capacity, fleet composition, mileage and the rationale for proposed boiler replacements.
Johnson said a 71‑passenger bus does not translate to 71 seats in daily use: “On a daily bus rate, we transport K through 12… the actual capacity somewhere between 47 and 55,” he said, attributing the industry seat assumptions to the transportation supervisor. He explained that the division keeps 71‑passenger buses when practical because they offer more flexibility for younger riders, but added that manufacturers are building fewer of those models and that ordering can produce a roughly one‑year wait.
The presentation noted the fleet: 33 buses in daily operation, more than 15 vans and cars, and 2 smaller 14‑passenger mini‑buses purchased last year for athletic trips that do not require CDL drivers. Johnson described high daily mileage driven by vans/cars that transport students to special programs, out‑of‑division placements, and long rural routes; geography and route length limit the ability to increase ridership without creating longer routes.
On the CIP and boilers, Johnson gave examples of failure modes (cracked heat exchangers, broken stay bolts, failed pressure tests) and an example from a neighboring division where repairs failed state pressure tests and temporary trailer‑mounted boilers cost substantially more than timely replacement. He said that planning for replacements in the CIP is prudent to avoid higher emergency costs and service interruptions.
Why it matters: Fleet choices and CIP spending affect transportation reliability, student ride times and the budget. Johnson also announced a May 5 career‑switchers job fair to recruit teachers.
Next steps: Staff will provide the transportation and CIP materials to supervisors and may present the data to ACE or supervisors as requested.
