The BISD Board of Trustees approved the purchase of three school buses from National Bus Sales for $172,300 during their meeting Monday night.
BISD Superintendent Tim Seymore said all three buses are used, low-mileage, off-lease buses, with new aftermarket air-conditioning units installed.
“The most common thing when you buy buses that are used is that you have air conditioner trouble,” Seymore said. “These don’t have air conditioners, so there are new systems put in. They were manufactured without air conditioners so we had aftermarket systems put in. So we’ll have a three-year warranty in those systems.”
Two of the buses are 72-passenger, 2015 model International diesels each costing $59,900. Each bus has between 30,000-40,000 miles and is fitted with a new air conditioning unit which includes a three-year warranty for parts and labor.
The third bus is a smaller, 47-passenger, 2012 model International diesel, costing $52,500 with around 40,000 miles on it. It also has a new air conditioner installed with a three-year warranty.
John Graham, transportation director for BISD, said he would have never considered buying a used bus because he had always bought new ones, but these were still under factory warranty.
Graham said he had driven many types of buses and had a lot of experience with International buses and that they were good buses. He said they were safer because their sidewalls are thicker than any other bus manufactured. He said that when he was transportation director at Millsap, he bought two new International buses and never had any trouble with them and that back when he was a driver, he put 100,000 miles on a International bus.
“We do need to get some new buses; in the past week we’ve probably spent $8,000 on the repairs on one bus,” he said. “So, they’re getting miles on them, and we need to start looking at replacing them. These are good deals; they’re still under a factory warranty.”
Graham said the buses come with cameras installed, but the previous district that owned the buses had removed the cameras’ hard drives. However, he said there was money allocated to cover the costs of having new hard drives installed in the cameras.
Seymore said the district’s plan is to use the two newer, bigger buses for travel buses, and move a couple of buses that are currently being used for travel to bus routes.
BISD trustees also approved individuals to serve as members the School Health Advisory Council, also known as SHAC, for the 2017-2018. The council is a school board-appointed advisory group of individuals who represent different segments of the community. They meet twice a year to discuss school health issues, make recommendations to the board pertaining to health education curriculum, consult regularly with the superintendent or designee, and approve the district-coordinated school health program.
For the first time, this year two Breckenridge High School students, Makenna Moser and Maria Alvarado, were selected to serve on the council.
Members approved to serve on the council are: Bacel Cantrell (President), community; Meredith Wuncsch, parent; Danielle Chisholm, parent; Yesenia Chavez, parent; Amanda Wright, parent; Kayla Roberts, parent; Kim Fuller, parent; Charla Valenzuela, parent; Krystal Hash, parent; Andy Rogers, community; Michael Roach, community; Father Dwayne Adams, community; Sumer Burns, community; Jeannie Gann, community; Makenna Moser, student; Maria Alvarado, student; Shannon Deen, BISD Counselor; Tamara Russell, BISD P.E. teacher; Mark Nelson, BISD Director of Food Service; Molly Johnson, BISD School Health Advisory Coordinator.
Board members also selected Graham Reaugh to serve as representative for the school district to serve on the Stephens County Appraisal District Board.
During the meeting, the elementary school principals announced the students of the month for each school: East Elementary, Kiptyn Escalon; North Elementary, Melissa Palacios; and, South Elementary, Alyssa Phelps. See photos below.
The board also rescheduled their regular Board of Trustees meeting in October from 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct 16.
Cutline, top photo: John Graham, transportation director for BISD, discusses the new school bus purchase with board members during the BISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Story by Tony Pilkington
East Elementary Principal Barbara Collinsworth announces Kiptyn Escalon as the Student of the Month at the BISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
North Elementary Principal Jennifer Gillard and teacher Sonia Saucedo announce Melissa Palacios as the Student of the Month at the BISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
South Elementary Principal Kenna Rainey announces Alyssa Phelps as the Student of the Month at the BISD Board of Trustees meeting Monday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
