Bigfork trustees authorize purchase of used 2022 Bluebird bus for up to $130,000

The Bigfork School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchase of a used 2022 Bluebird route bus on June 30, 2025, endorsing a staff recommendation to buy a vehicle located in Oklahoma for up to $130,000.

Superintendent Tom Stack told trustees the district needs another route bus and had weighed the cost of a new vehicle against the used option Transportation Director Danny Walker found. Stack recommended purchasing a 2022 Bluebird with about 30,000 miles for $124,900, and said Walker would fly to Oklahoma to retrieve it if the board approved the purchase.

Trustee Carol Field moved to approve the purchase as recommended, with Trustee Deb Johnson seconding. The motion passed by unanimous vote of the trustees present: Carol Field, Deb Johnson, Paul Sandry and Mac Kirk. Ben Woods, Dan Elwell and Julie Kreiman were recorded as absent. The board’s motion authorized spending up to $130,000 to complete the acquisition.

The approval follows the board’s routine business, which opened and closed within minutes; the meeting was called to order at 12:01 p.m. and adjourned at 12:04 p.m. The board also approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session.

The district did not provide additional budget breakdowns or a procurement justification in the meeting record beyond the recommended purchase price and the spending cap. The board set its regular meeting schedule through Dec. 10, 2025, with meetings held at 5 p.m. in the high school library.

No statutes, ordinances or procurement policies were cited in the public record of the meeting. The action is a formal board purchase authorization; the next steps are procurement completion and vehicle retrieval by Transportation Director Danny Walker.