School Board adding 4 to 59-bus fleet

SEAN KINNEY

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

The Monroe County School Board on Sept. 23 unanimously approved the $441,580 purchase of four new 77-passenger schools buses as part of a 10-year plan to replace the School District’s bus fleet.

On Dec. 10, the board also voted to spend $1,198,969 for 10 new Thomas C2 buses.

Patrick LeFere, the district’s executive director of operations and planning, in November advised board members that the district’s 59 buses were quickly deteriorating.

Specifically, 40 of the buses were five years or older; 15 buses were 10 years or older; and four buses were less than five years old.

LeFere, laying out his case, said between 2000 and 2008 the district bought new buses every year totaling 55 buses. But between 2009 and 2013, the district only purchased four buses.

“The district should have been on a regular purchasing schedule buying an average of four buses per year… The increasing age of the bus fleet results in decreased reliability and increased costs for maintenance and fuel.

Those recommendations led to the December purchase of the 10 buses, including three equipped with wheelchair lifts and two with seating for very young children.

With the four-bus purchase approved this month, the district is following LeFere’s recommended purchasing schedule.

Although the item passed unanimously and with little discussion, board member Ed Davidson asked LeFere to look at alternatives moving forward.

Davidson referenced presentations on natural gas powered buses he had seen at meetings of the Florida School Board Association.

“It would seem to me that at least the Key West part of the fleet would be a candidate,” he said.

“There are some pretty compelling figures that over the life of the bus it will pay for itself.”

Thomas also manufactures several models of buses that run off compressed natural gas.

“A number of districts have started buying into these programs,” Davidson said. “We’re talking about big money here if the practicalities can work. I hope that we look into that over time.”

In an email to board members, district watchdog Larry Murray echoed Davidson’s sentiments.

“Compressed natural gas and propane are the fuels of the future; diesel is the fuel of the past. As the School District makes long-term investments, I strongly suggest that you look at alternative fuels for your bus fleet,” he wrote (which was published in the Konk Life Blast on Sept. 25).

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