Caverna Schools Superintendent Amanda Abell (right) explained that on a recent trip she took with students, six windows would not stay closed in one of the district’s older buses. “A lot of those kids were cold,” she said. Gage Wilson/For Glasgow News 1
STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Concerns about an aging fleet led the Caverna Board of Education to approve the purchase of a new school bus Thursday, after transportation staff warned several vehicles currently in use are well beyond the state’s recommended service timeline.
Talks came as the district has been confronted with an aging bus fleet, with at least four buses that are used consistently being over 10 years old. David Forbes, who oversees the district’s 12 buses, painted a grim picture as the board weighed purchasing a new bus.
“We have four that are 18, 17, 16 and 15 years old,” Forbes said. “What we are seeing now is the gaps where we skipped some years.… So we have four of these units that are basically ticking time bombs.”
Forbes went on to comment that with the Spring sports season, all of the school’s buses are in regular use, referring to this time of year as a “litmus test” for the fleet’s overall effectiveness through the year.
“The state recommends 10 years for route buses,” he explained. “And 14 years to remove.”
Board member Allison Dennison asked if the bus purchases have been rotated, using an example of buying a bus one year and skipping the next.
“We were on a rotation previous to 2006,” answered Forbes. “And then finance came to me and asked if we could skip a year for two buses and then we would pick back up, and we didn’t pick back up.”
Dennison asked if, in the future, the district could get back into a rotation.
“There are provisions, there are ways to do that,” Forbes said.
He went on to say that the district has not paid interest on a school bus since around 2008. “Which is a big deal, that’s massive,” he added. “Because after so many years of interest you buy a bus, now the problem is trying to catch up to that.”
Forbes made mention of avenues the board may want to explore such as financing through the Kentucky Interlocal School Transportation Association.
“I think it would be preferable not to do a KISTA loan,” said Superintendent Amanda Abell. “We’d like to buy our buses outright like how we have been doing.”
Abell explained that the bus once ordered would still take around a year to get. “So then we’d have to get in motion the next bus for the next year,” she said. “If we don’t start the purchase process this year and we wait until next year, you’re going to be a whole other school year out.”
Forbes recommended that at least two or three buses would need to be ordered before the district should begin skipping years.
In a working session to discuss finances and budgets, which preceded the regular meeting, it was discussed that the cost of a bus would run around $140,000 to $150,000.
Forbes did make mention of supplemental transportation options the district has purchased that help with support, but affirmed that the four older buses are still a priority for the school to address.
“I’d like to have a new one for the next five or six years,” he said.” But I understand where you all are at.”
The board ultimately approved the purchase of a new bus.
Key Facts:
– Caverna Board of Education approves purchase of a new school bus
– Transportation director says four of 12 buses are 15 to 18 years old
– State recommends 10 years for route buses, 14 years to remove
– New bus expected to cost about $140,000 to $150,000
– Superintendent prefers purchase over KISTA financing
– Board discusses returning to a regular bus replacement rotation
Gage Wilson for Glasgow News 1 contributed to this story
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