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Board weighs multiyear bus replacement plan after years without purchases
Summary
Staff proposed a multiyear purchase plan (buying 4–6 buses a year) to rotate the fleet out of service in 6–9 years and avoid spare‑parts problems for aged buses; the board discussed bonds, sinking funds and budget offsets.
Board members heard a multi-year plan for fleet turnover as staff laid out options for avoiding the current ‘‘spare‑parts’’ and inspection squeeze. Staff said the manufacturer recommendation is 12 years total service (10 years on a regular route, two years as a spare) and that many district buses are already beyond that window. One staff member said, "We only have 27 of our 42 buses have already aged out that 12 years."
Staff proposed scenarios: buy 4 buses per year to refresh the fleet in nine years, or return to a prior pattern of 6 buses per year to complete turnover in six years. Funding options discussed included a three-year loan (used previously), writing buses into a bond, or revisiting the district sinking fund (which would require voter approval and legislative compliance). The business manager reviewed the most recent financing example: eight buses acquired in 2020 for $744,112 financed through Fifth Third Bank on a three-year plan that is now paid off; however, board members noted current interest rates are higher than in 2020. Staff were asked to return with concrete multi-year costing, estimated annual payment amounts for different loan terms, and the projected budget cuts required to accommodate payments.
