Rutherford County School Board approves purchase of 10 buses, reallocates $1.9M to pay for them

The Rutherford County School Board voted 5–2 on March 12 to purchase 10 school buses — five specially configured buses for special-education routes and five 90-passenger buses — and approved a budget transfer to fund the purchases and related short-term operating costs.

The motion, made by school board member Butch Vaughn and seconded by Claire Maxwell, directed staff to buy five special-education buses (24+1 configuration) and five 90-passenger buses, with the fifth 90-passenger unit to be a Central States vehicle reserved at $176,452 if still available. Vaughn framed the purchase as a hedge against routing gaps and contractor shortages, saying, "Five and five is where I stand," and urging the board not to be "flatfooted" if contractors cannot cover routes in the fall.

District transportation staff told the board that Central States had three new 90-passenger buses available in May at $176,452 (no air conditioning on the state bid option) and that Midsouth had no new 90-passenger buses available for immediate delivery; an order placed with Midsouth today would deliver in February 2027 at an estimated $185,000 without AC. Staff also reviewed used-bus inventory: Midsouth had eleven 90-passenger buses available on March 3 and four remaining when staff asked the vendor to reserve units; staff recommended buying four of those used 90-passenger buses and one used 42-passenger wheelchair-accessible bus for special-education needs. Warranty information for the recommended used units included a 5-year/100,000-mile engine warranty and 5-year unlimited-mileage transmission coverage, staff said.

To pay for the purchases and short-term operating needs, the board approved a budget transfer of approximately $1.9 million within the transportation category (account 72710). Staff said the reallocation moves funds to motor vehicles, $100,000 for gasoline, $75,000 for bus-driver wages (anticipated as short-term hires under job classification R107 for part-time work without benefits) and modest amounts for supplies and benefits associated with any temporary hires. Transportation leadership told the board the county commission would be notified and could later accept a cleanup amendment; staff estimated insurance questions might not be resolved before the policy committee meets in April.

Board members pressed staff on operational details. Dr. Sullivan and other staff said all routes remained covered today but that seven routes were currently unclaimed and the district could face late pickups if contractor capacity does not return; historically the number of open routes ranged from zero to three in a typical year. Board members asked whether contractors could use district buses in emergencies; staff said contractors may operate a district bus only if the driver is individually board-approved, and that the district would need policy clarifications to avoid competing unfairly with contractor partners.

Concerns raised during debate included the cost of drivers and possible two-tiered labor effects if the district hires part-time drivers without benefits; one board member warned of "sticker shock" for wages, and others emphasized the need to protect special-education students who face greater hardship when routes are delayed or canceled. The board asked staff to bring policy recommendations on priority use of district-owned buses, contractor coordination, driver approval procedures and insurance implications to the policy committee.

The purchase motion passed on a roll call vote: Mr. Tidwell — No; Mrs. Rosales — Yes; Miss Sharp — Yes; Mr. Va — Yes; Butch Vaughn — Yes; Mrs. Darby — No; Mrs. Maxwell — Yes (5–2). Following the vote, the board approved a separate motion awarding route 39 to Gossip Bus Lines and approved several VIN transfers and a bus ownership transfer by voice vote. The meeting ended after the board approved the budget transfer needed to fund the purchases and associated short-term costs.

Next steps: staff will finalize purchase orders consistent with the board motion, present job descriptions and R107 hiring details if the district hires drivers, notify the county commission of the budget transfer (and offer a cleanup amendment), and return to the policy committee in April with proposed rules for use of district-owned buses, contractor priority and driver approvals.