Board hears bus-replacement plan and awards $14.44M purchase

Marcy Murphy, director of transportation, told trustees the district’s average fleet age is about 12 years and outlined a purchase plan that mixes large buses and smaller vehicles for special services. She said the next major purchase is planned for the 2028–29 school year to maintain the fleet average, and added that forthcoming purchases will be fully seat-belted to get ahead of the state’s 2031 compliance date.

When asked about electric buses, Murphy said they remain "extremely expensive to purchase" and that required charging infrastructure costs would fall entirely on the district; she cited concerns about range and cold-weather feasibility, noting grants have helped some peer districts but that infrastructure remains a barrier. Later in the meeting administration recommended awarding the purchase to the lowest responsible bidder, Midwest Transit Equipment, in the amount of $14,441,372 and requested authorization for district administration to execute related documents. The board moved forward with the recommendation during the work session.

Transportation staff said the district is replacing some larger buses with additional smaller buses to match route and special-services needs after boundary changes and routing efficiencies.