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BISD approves purchase of new bus

Wed, 09/28/2022 - 12:00 am

Breckenridge ISD, during a special board meeting Monday, Sept. 26, voted unanimously to approve the purchase of a new 2023 Blue Bird 71-passenger bus, at a cost of $127,392.

Previously, the district had budgeted for new vehicles this year. However, 2024 buses were not immediately available.

“We had contacted Blue Bird about ordering (...) a new bus as we normally do. They informed us that they were not going to start making any new buses until March or April (2023),” BISD Superintendent Bryan Allen said in the board’s Sept. 19 meeting. “It will probably be next September or October before we can get rolling. So that puts us out of our fiscal year. Luckily, our sales rep worked with Mr. Brewer and found some (...) technically new 2023 stock buses that are available within the next month or so.”

During the previous meeting, held last Monday, Sept. 19, Allen spoke on the immediate need of another bus within the district due to the number of students in programs such as band, athletics, and FFA. Delivery of the bus could add an additional up to three weeks of wait time. The board members discussed the possibility of driving to San Antonio and picking the bus up when it is ready to avoid having to wait longer to get it to BISD.

The board originally approved the purchase of a 77-passenger bus during their regular meeting, as there were no 71-passenger buses available at the time. According to Allen, last Tuesday, Sept. 20, Blue Bird contacted BISD regarding a 71-passenger bus in stock, which provides overhead storage, as well as additional storage under the bus. The bus will be used for transporting students on travel trips for band, athletics, and FFA.

“It would be a great trip bus, and that’s what we plan to use it for. (...) What we talked about is getting in a rotation of the newer buses going on the longest trips, and then as they age out, put them on the routes as you know, they’re in the county closer in,” Allen said during the Monday special meeting. “The pricing is a little bit higher, about $1,200 difference, but like I said, with the overhead storage and the underbelly storage, we feel like that’s a pretty good deal for us, so that’s what we’re recommending.”