Platteville operations committee weighs options for $42,000 DPI grant to fund ADA-accessible van

The Platteville School District operations committee reviewed a $42,000 DPI grant awarded to the district and discussed options for using the funds to add a second ADA-accessible van with a lift.

The chair said the district "has been awarded $42,000," and staff reported that EWALT provided a price quote but that the grant would not cover the full lease cost. Committee members outlined three main options: lease a new van with a lift; attempt to find a used vehicle; or redirect the funds to programs such as Project Search. The chair noted a fourth option would be to decline the grant.

Dr. Long, speaking for district staff, urged attention to the grant timeline and logistics: "So we would have to utilize the money within a year," and recommended the decision be made by November to allow time for any revisions. Committee members expressed concern about buying a used van because of specialized lift maintenance needs that local shops might not be able to service.

One committee member argued for leasing a new vehicle on warranty, saying leasing would likely leave the district owning a newer vehicle at the end of a lease term than would buying an older used van. The committee also discussed financing the lease by applying an upfront amount (for example, $5,200) to reduce monthly payments.

Rather than deciding at operations, the chair said operations would "replicate this item" and asked staff (Lisa) to add the ADA-van discussion to the next regular board meeting agenda so the full board can consider EWALT’s quote, lease terms, potential used-vehicle options, and any additional grant or fundraising to offset costs.