A new school bus purchase may be in the Walton-Verona Independent Schools future.
The potential addition to the bus fleet was discussed during Thursday’s regular school board session.
“What I’m requesting is an additional bus purchase,” Walton-Verona Independent Schools Transportation Manager Chris Schadler said. “When the bus that we ordered last year arrives, this year we’ll have 22 buses. That continues our goal to purchase one per year.”
The school board is considering adding a full size special needs bus, or lift bus, with a larger seating capacity to accommodate not only preschool numbers, but also special needs class trips, officials said.
“This allows us to upgrade our current 2012 preschool bus to a new bus and retire, at the same time, a 20-year-old special needs lift bus,” Schadler said, adding the bus targeted for retirement from the fleet was purchased new as a preschool bus and served as a spare for several years.
A regular education bus with no lift has an estimated price of $145,000 while a full size special needs bus carries an estimated price of $150,000, Schadler said.
School board member Megan Jones commended the school bus drivers for their role in helping Walton-Verona Schools attain its 95% daily attendance.
“I just want to say thanks to our staff, to the principals and the bus drivers that get them (students) there, because it truly is our culture that brings these kids here every day,” Jones said. “They know they are safe here, going to be fed and have people who care about them.”