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Le Sueur-Henderson School District board approves bus purchases, names transportation director
Summary
The Le Sueur-Henderson School District board approved purchases of buses and vans, discussed a plan to reduce routes from seven to six and announced Melanie McJunnie has accepted the district's transportation director position; staff estimated $25,000–$60,000 in first-year savings.
The Le Sueur-Henderson School District board approved initial bus and van purchases and announced a new transportation director at its meeting. Board members heard staff outline procurement choices, safety equipment plans and expected short-term savings.
Board members moved forward with the purchases after Jim, filling in for transportation staff member Kai, summarized an attachment listing vehicle options and pricing. Jim told the board that certain vehicles can qualify for state reimbursement if they are used 51% or more for special education trips, and staff are finalizing which vehicles meet that threshold. "Even if you have one special ed student on that bus, you could then label that transportation as special ed," Jim said.
The board was told the district hired Melanie McJunnie, who "accepted the position to be transportation director" and will work directly with Kai and other staff on routing and operations. Staff said they expect to reduce scheduled routes from seven to six because current demand and route capacities made consolidation appropriate.
On equipment, Jim described plans to buy several used buses and some mini buses and said the district will equip route buses with video cameras on at least seven vehicles, keeping one camera as a spare for backup vehicles. He also outlined plans to buy a new 1,000-gallon on-site diesel tank so the district can purchase off-road diesel at bulk rates; meeting remarks put the tank cost at about $3,350 (staff estimate).
Staff projected operational savings from the procurement and routing changes, estimating the district will realize roughly $25,000 to $60,000 in the first year. "We're going to be sitting between that 25 to 60,000 savings in the first year," Jim said. The board discussed using routing tools and adding larger-screen devices such as iPads or Apple CarPlay for drivers to reduce phone use while driving.
The purchases in item 6.2 were moved by Director Burns, seconded by Director Radway and approved on a 6-0 vote. The district will proceed with the initial buys intended to meet early July needs while staff continue work on finalizing numbers, classifications for reimbursement and longer-term garage modifications. The board then adjourned the meeting and moved into a work session, where Tori from the University of Minnesota was present to begin the next agenda items.
