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Superintendent details roof repairs, sewage‑pump fixes and electric bus rollout
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Lambert reported on completed and ongoing repairs after water damage at Tygarts Valley and Jennings, and staff and drivers described early experience with 20 EPA‑funded electric buses including charging cycles, mileage and minor warranty repairs.
Superintendent Dr. Lambert told the Randolph County Board of Education the district has completed most repairs from recent water damage at Tygarts Valley High School, with a remaining sidewalk repair scheduled and a rerouted drain being re‑graveled to protect the football field.
"The majority of the work at Tygarts Valley from the water damage has been fixed," Dr. Lambert said, and maintenance staff are finishing a sidewalk segment and cleaning the ditch between the football field and high school. He added crews identified seven roof leaks at Tygarts Valley that are being repaired and that Jennings required about $3,000 of metal decking replacement after roof leaks tied to HVAC renovations.
The meeting also included an update on electric school buses acquired through an EPA grant. Transportation staff said the district has 20 electric buses in the fleet; bus 91 (a 2023 Thomas Jouley demo) recorded 2,553 miles last school year, while bus 94 (a 2026 model) has 172 miles so far.
"We received it in just in May of this past year... we've only put 172 miles on it," a transportation staff member said of bus 94. Driver Dave Jones, who has put about 900 miles on his bus in roughly a month, described minimal mechanical problems and routine charging every 2½ days in current conditions. "Battery terminal came loose... that's the only problem we've had out of it," Jones said. He added chargers typically restore charge in about three hours and noted the buses are significantly quieter than diesel models.
District officials said preventive maintenance is performed regularly and that, aside from minor warranty repairs, the buses are meeting expectations for rural routes. The board did not take action beyond hearing the reports.
