Subcommittee leans toward leasing to replace aging bus fleet after early-year breakdowns

District staff presented a transportation update showing elevated repair costs for the school bus fleet and asked the subcommittee to consider leasing options.

The staff member said last year’s repairs totaled $66,529 and that January–February of the current year already required about $28,400 in major repairs (transmissions, injectors). To stabilize costs, staff recommended leasing buses rather than purchasing.

On costs, staff gave example estimates: “if we lease a 76000 year school bus, it would cost us 53,258 a piece. Annual, it would be 212,954. And a 5 year with taxes and everything would be 236,911,” and contrasted that with purchase prices that start around $142,900 and can reach $240,000 per bus plus higher operating costs. Staff estimated annual maintenance for purchased buses between $20,000 and $28,000 per bus and said the district averages about 15,000 miles per bus annually.

Staff reported the district has seven buses on record but noted only one was reliably serviceable in some periods; operational needs call for three buses on daily routes plus additional vehicles for field trips, so a fleet of four to five serviceable buses was discussed as a target. Members asked staff to arrange vendor demonstrations or site visits so principals and athletics staff can inspect models before final selection.

Next steps: staff will provide a side-by-side financial comparison of lease versus purchase, collect warranty and mileage details, and schedule vendor demonstrations or site visits for committee review before making a recommendation to trustees.