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Committee sends $150,000 request to full board to buy 15 spare buses from Prince William County
Summary
The finance committee voted to forward a request to use $150,000 in unobligated operating funds to buy 15 used buses from Prince William County Public Schools as spare buses; presenters said the buses average about 13 years and 85,000 miles and cost roughly $10,000 each.
The Frederick County School Board finance committee on June 15 voted to forward a request to use $150,000 in unobligated operating funds to purchase 15 used school buses from Prince William County Public Schools.
A transportation staff member leading the request said the buses are roughly 13 years old with low mileage for their age (presenters cited an average of about 85,000 miles) and that the division expects them to serve as spare buses while the district continues a longer-term fleet modernization plan. The staff member said the price point — about $10,000 per bus — is far below the cost of a new vehicle, which can exceed $150,000.
Presenters framed the purchase as ‘‘breathing room’’ for a fleet that includes many older vehicles, telling the committee several in the current fleet have very high mileage and that the transportation department sometimes has no spare buses available when one vehicle breaks down. Committee members praised the plan as fiscally prudent and a short-term solution to improve reliability.
Committee member S2 moved to forward the request to the full board with a recommendation of approval; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Presenters said the purchase would not replace the district’s ongoing new-bus purchases but would supplement spares and reduce immediate operational risk while longer-term replacements proceed.
