The Delaware City Schools Board of Education approved the purchase of two propane school buses and heard a brief presentation about transportation during its Monday meeting.
Delaware City Schools Facilities Manager Jason Sherman asked the board to approve a $204,126 purchase of two propane-powered 71-passenger conventional school buses with chair lifts through the Metropolitan Educational Technology Association (META.) Sherman said by purchasing propane buses instead of diesel, the district gained a $26,000 reimbursement from the Ohio EPA Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversion Grant, which offset the additional costs of the chair lifts.
Sherman said the district “continues to see results from propane buses,” and he added propane buses save between 20 and 40 cents per mile. Sherman previously reported that the buses are also easier and cheaper to maintain than diesel buses, and the district has previously purchased 12 propane buses.
Butch Rice, the transportation supervisor for the district, told the board that the school year has had a “good” start as more and more bus routes and services come online. Rice also reported that next week, students will get a presentation about school bus safety.
Rice also reported that for the 2017-2018 school year, the district’s buses travelled 61,802 miles on routes, transporting teams and field trips.
The board also approved a number of resignations, including Debra Covrett, a cook/cashier at Dempsey Middle School; Kristin Larson, a School-Aged-Child-Care (SACC) program assistant at Schultz Elementary School; Karen Paver, a bus driver for the district; and Tammy Clark, a classified substitute with the district.
The board then approved a number of classified staff employments: Randy Bender, a bus driver; Tammy Fetty, a bus driver; Susan Hackbarth, an educational assistant at Carlisle Elementary; Sarah Hammons, a SACC program assistant at Carlisle; Amber Hill, a bus driver; Jennifer Payne, a bus driver; Suzetta Ross; a educational assistant at Dempsey; Carla Smith, a bus driver; and Mandy Walters, a technology specialist at Schultz.
The board also approved 12 supplemental contracts for the 2018-2019 school year for positions such as program coordinators, mentor teachers and coaches.
The next regular board meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Sept 10 in the board room at Willis Education Center, 74 W. William St.
