Board reviews vehicle propositions; questions raised over preordered wheelchair-access bus

Board members and staff discussed three propositions the district will place on the budget ballot: two replacement diesel school buses on the replacement cycle, a buildings-and-grounds dump truck with plow, and a capital-reserve proposition to open reserve funds accumulated from interest.

On the specific bus purchases, a staff member told the board the bus order was executed well in advance. "The order for the bus is signed a year ahead of time," the staff member said, explaining the district—s contract terms constrain changes once an order is placed for a bus to be purchased if the proposition passes.

Multiple trustees questioned why the district would acquire another wheelchair-accessible bus rather than a larger-capacity standard bus. One board member said the district already has "one too many wheelchair buses" and asked whether a wheelchair bus could be fitted with regular seats so it could be used as a standard route vehicle. Staff said they did not have immediate answers on how many seats the ordered vehicles contain and committed to follow up with seating counts and options.

The staff member also explained the capital-reserve proposition: interest earnings (about $5,500) currently cannot be moved into a reserve without voter authorization, so one ballot proposition would permit that transfer if voters approve. The board asked that staff include seating counts and options about the wheelchair bus in the next update before finalizing the propositions for the May vote.