Important Advancements to bus fleet being made at Wayne County Schools
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By Linda Jones
Wayne County Schools are making strides updating their school bus fleet with the new arrival of four brand new school buses which include: three 72-passenger buses, plus a 52-passenger bus that is currently undergoing a new inspection at the bus garage before it goes on a route. In addition, the Wayne County Board of Education approved the purchase of seven more buses that will arrive in the 2024-25 school year, during their January meeting.
Transportation Director Justin Alley explained that the bus inventory is constantly changing and as buses age, they generally require more maintenance. While the mechanics do an excellent job, the goal is to have the newest models to transport students so they can continue to maintain their excellent safety record. “We have 45 regular daily routes, plus preschool buses that run midday. The state suggests that 12 percent of the buses be replaced which amounts to five or six buses every year. The state pays us for the depreciation of a bus over 12 years, so you get reimbursed for your bus over twelve years.”
Naturally, the ebb and flow of bus purchases over the years depends on school funding. Currently, the district is trying to build up the fleet with newer model buses so the older buses can be retired.
The three new 72-passenger Conventional style buses plugged into the regular routes that were ordered in the fall of 2022 include: Bus #286 driven by Joey Condreay, Bus #287 driven by Lloyd Jones, and Bus #288 driven by Glenda Gregory. Bus 289, the 52-passenger bus, most recently delivered will be driven by Bill Baker across the lake in the Jabez community. They have all the latest features including an updated yellow handrail next to the inside steps and several interior wide-angle lens cameras.
One of the best safety features on all the buses is the cross over arm that keeps the students far enough in front of the bus so the driver can see them and count them as they get off and as they cross in front of the bus. Another nice feature is the No Child Left Behind button, where every driver is reminded to walk all the way to the back of the bus to punch the buzzer, while checking each seat to make sure a child has not fallen asleep, for example and is still accidentally onboard the bus at the end of the run.
Wayne County bus drivers appreciate bus safety precautions that they facilitate whether it is through bus evacuation drills, their relationship and knowledge of their passengers, supervising student behavior onboard their bus, or the extra mechanical features built into buses nowadays. They also feel safer knowing the bus mechanics have performed a monthly maintenance inspection to keep their bus running smoothly.
Veteran Mechanic/Driver Troy Neal has been driving students for some 20 years and said he tells people if his own child was in a crash, he would hope they were onboard a school bus because it is the safest way to travel.
Director Alley said, “Our district has made great strides in the past five or six years purchasing the new buses we need, working on getting the fleet back to where it needs to be. Superintendent Neal has continued to be very conscientious and supportive of the needs of our transportation department. He knows our needs well, as he was previously transportation director, and he wants the district to have the safest, most reliable buses possible making up the fleet.”
As a result, five new buses have been ordered that are scheduled to arrive this summer, and two more around December, that have been purchased by some creative financial methods.
For instance, the special needs department is paying for a new special needs bus giving the district two on the road. The special education funds total $132,674. Not only do the buses that include a lift for students in wheelchairs run on regular routes, but also are used for field trips in order to accommodate the special needs children enrolled in the system.
“We are getting two more 72-passenger buses from ESSER funds that were a result of the COVID pandemic. We had approximately $600,000 in federal funds left over from the Gym renovation project, so we are using some of those funds to cover the cost of the buses at $279,694,” said Alley. “We are really blessed on these purchases because we haven’t had to use general fund dollars.”
In addition, the Board of Education also approved the purchase of two 72-passenger buses and two 78-passenger buses using KISTA transportation financing totaling $645,614.
“Those buses will go a long way to getting us caught up to where we need to be.” noted Alley.
The board also declared one vehicle and six buses as salvage property. The mechanics are able to use some of the parts off of the buses as replacement pieces if needed.
The Wayne County School Bus mechanics have been busier than ever keeping all of the 63 fleet parked buses working well during the recent extended cold snap. The cold weather sometimes causes the fuel to thicken in the lines making them difficult to start, just like private vehicles.
During the NTI days, they started the buses on the bus lot each day making sure the batteries had not run down and gave several a boost when needed. They were also completing some of their regular monthly inspections and did work on them inside the bus garage. Seven of the buses on the lot failed to start, but the professional mechanics were able to quickly remedy the situation. Wayne County Schools are fortunate to employ such a knowledgeable team of mechanics that keep the fleet of buses that travel on Wayne County’s rural road so well maintained.
“There is a lot of time involved in maintaining the fleet, as there should be,” noted Mechanic/Driver Troy Neal.
