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District shifts some bus upgrade costs to general fund after depreciation rules change
Summary
Administrators said a legislative depreciation change (from 13 to 15 years) reduced TVF depreciation payments; the district will pay add-on upgrades from the general fund to preserve TVF capacity for bus replacements and maximize available state transportation funding.
District staff described a change in how buses are depreciated that reduces annual depreciation payments to the transportation vehicle fund (TVF). Amy said state legislation extended bus depreciation from 13 to 15 years, lowering annual depreciation receipts and prompting an accounting change to protect replacement capacity.
To preserve TVF funds for fleet replacement, the district will start charging optional bus add-ons — extended warranties, additional storage or security upgrades — to the general fund instead of the TVF. "In the past, we've just charged the whole purchase of the bus to the TVF fund. So in order to reserve some of that funding... we're gonna start taking those additional upgrades and paying those out of the general fund," Amy said.
The presenter also discussed efforts to maximize transportation funding by appropriately charging staff time and maintenance costs to transportation accounts. The district said it is training a new bus driver and pursuing grants (including E-Rate for fiber) that may indirectly affect transportation operations.
