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East Hampton opens regional bus depot as neighboring districts shift services
Summary
East Hampton has begun hosting a transportation depot and signed contracts to provide bus maintenance and services for neighboring districts, prompting budget adjustments in Sag Harbor and recruitment efforts for drivers and mechanics.
East Hampton this spring is operating a transportation depot intended to centralize bus maintenance and to provide services to neighboring districts, officials told LTV’s East End News.
Christine Samson reported that the depot — framed as a maintenance hub for East Hampton’s fleet — is being used under a shared‑services approach. Springs and Montauk previously contracted East Hampton for repairs and state inspections; Shelter Island, Waynecott and Sagaponic have all signed new contracts for transportation to and from school, extracurricular trips and field trips.
Jennifer Buchi, the school business administrator identified in the report, said the shift may lower costs for smaller districts because East Hampton has a larger fleet and in‑house mechanics. "As budgets get tighter, everyone is looking to save money. East Hampton has a larger fleet and also maintains their own garage and mechanics. As a result, they may be able to provide the services at a lower cost due to economies of scale," Buchi said.
The report said Sag Harbor will lose what it described as "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in revenue previously generated by transportation contracts with Waynecott and Sagaponic; Sag Harbor officials told LTV they had adjusted their budget to reflect the change. The broadcast did not provide a precise dollar figure.
East Hampton officials also said the district is hiring bus drivers and offering free training; a district webpage was referenced for application details.
The arrangement was described as a set of signed contracts for transportation services rather than a formal legislative action on the air; the broadcast did not include vote tallies or board minutes. Questions remain about long‑term fiscal impacts for districts that previously received contract revenue.
