If approved, depreciation funds generated by the purchases will provide additional state revenue to maintain a current fleet for many years to come.

Why is it important to have an up-to-date fleet of buses and what does that mean? The state considers school buses to have a 12-year lifespan; some small buses have only an eight-year lifespan. Up-to-date doesn’t mean “new”. Up-to-date means buses operating within their designated lifespan.

Operating a current fleet is important for three reasons: 1. Student safety, 2. Efficient operations, and 3. Cleaner air.

Up-to-date buses have substantial safety enhancements over older buses. These improvements include better compartmentalization, additional emergency exits, improved braking and traction control systems, improved ergonomics and driver safety.

Compartmentalization is a big word for a simple concept. Compartmentalization is simply the protective bubble of foam that surrounds children while riding a school bus. Buses built in the past several years have additional foam that is also substantially thicker both in front of and behind the children’s seats. That passive restraint system is designed to absorb much of the energy during collisions, thereby providing students more protection.

Newer buses also have additional roof and side emergency exits. Newer buses, like modern cars, have antilock brake systems, traction control systems, improved driver visibility and ergonomics. All of that combines to make newer buses safer.

Only 50 percent of our fleet is current by state standards. Half of our buses are more than 12 years old; our oldest bus is 28. Our fleet is aging.

State-provided depreciation funds are declining as more buses become fully depreciated. If left unchecked, 10 years from now only 30 percent of our fleet will be current (12 or fewer years of age).

Based upon our maintenance records, the school district is spending a disproportionate share of its financial resources maintaining older school buses. Buses 13 years and older cost 260 percent more to maintain per mile driven than our buses that are newer. Parts for our oldest buses are becoming increasingly more difficult to purchase. Several of our buses have engines that have not been manufactured in nearly 20 years. Like all things mechanical, school buses just wear out from continued use. Wooden flooring rots, paint fades, and engines and transmissions fail.

The third reason to maintain an up-to-date fleet is newer buses meet modern emissions standards. They are significantly cleaner burning and thus better for our environment. If you have ever been stopped behind an older school bus at an intersection, you have seen the soot that comes from the tailpipe when the bus accelerates. The emissions of soot and other harmful particulates and gases are dramatically reduced in newer buses. The Environmental Protection Agency states that, “More than half of today’s school buses have been in service for over a decade. These older buses lack today’s pollution-control and safety features, and emit nearly twice as much pollution per mile as a semi-truck. School buses built to meet EPA’s 2010 standards emit 95 percent less pollution than pre-2007 vehicles and are 60 times cleaner than pre-1991 buses!” (http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/replacement.htm) Twelve percent of our fleet is pre-1991 buses and 63 percent of our fleet is pre-2007 buses.

The two-year transportation levy, if approved, would provide $1.5 million for each of two years. The levy would cost property owners in the district approximately 49 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Exemptions to this property tax may be available for residents age 61 and older or who are disabled.

The levy would fund the purchase of 26 new buses. Future depreciation funds received from the state from those new buses would continue to provide adequate funding for bus replacement for years to come.

If you have questions or concerns about the Transportation Vehicle Fund Levy please contact me at 360-618-6238 or our Public Information Officer Andrea Conley at 360-618-6217.