1/29/09

Suburban News

Khalila Perrin

With newly approved tax dollars flowing in, it won’t be long before some Columbus students can ride to school in style.

The Columbus school board approved the purchase of 137 new buses — the district’s first batch of new buses since seven were ordered in 2006. The decision came during the board’s Jan. 20 meeting.

Funding for the new buses comes from the taxpayer-approved $164 million bond issue OK’d in November. The ballot issue also included a 7.85-mill operating levy.

This marks the first wave of purchases using the new bond funds, which the administration also has earmarked for new textbooks and computers. It will cost the district $10.5 million to purchase the 137 new 65-passenger vehicles. The aim is to replace half of the district’s 543-bus fleet in segments over the next four years.

The deal the administration hashed out with Columbus-based vendor Center City International was “good news” for the district, Chief Operating Officer Larry Hoskins said during the meeting.

Officials originally had aimed to purchase 120 buses with the $10.5 million, but “low demand, high supply” market conditions pushed the vehicles’ prices down, said Hoskins.

“The overall price of the buses came in less than we estimated,” district Transportation Director Steve Simmons said.

The buses will cost the district $77,470 each.

Along with the favorable price, the buses will include “all the latest safety features,” said Simmons — four digital surveillance cameras in each, plus tinted windows and white roofs to keep the vehicles cool.

Of the 137 ordered, 69 are expected to roll into the district’s main compound in June. The first batch of buses will be 2010 models.

The other 68 will be 2011 models and are expected to arrive in December 2010. The buses will hit the road once dealer, district and Ohio State Highway Patrol inspections are complete.

The district’s two wrecked buses and its oldest models will be the first to be replaced.

What becomes of the discarded buses?

“They are traded in just like you do a car,” said Simmons.

Trading the old buses was a part of the district’s bid package with Center City International. The transportation department won’t discard any buses until replacements arrive.

In the meantime, Simmons said he is looking forward to the new arrivals.

“I cannot wait. You can’t even imagine,” he said. “It will immediately benefit the district costwise (on) day one, as well as the students are going to be in the latest and greatest and the safest.”

The department transports around 31,000 students twice a day.

” … The students are going to be in the latest and greatest and the safest.”

–Steve Simmons