District proposes $2.2 million bus purchases from reserves; transportation staffing and aid losses highlighted

At the third budget workshop, district operations staff reviewed building-level spending and transportation pressures and announced a proposed $2,200,000 purchase of buses to be funded from capital reserves.

Melanie Ward summarized building budgets and said the district expects roughly $64,000,000 in building-based budgets next year, with 94% going to staff salaries; she also noted increased participation in EMCC vocational programs through BOCES. “This year, for the first time in, I believe, 10 years, the district raised the per pupil allocation by about $20 per pupil per level,” she said.

Unidentified Speaker 3 then reviewed transportation operations: staffing shortages remain, contracted transportation costs are high and route constraints reduce service (field-trip limits, constrained pick-up windows). He/she said the district typically replaces 11–12 buses per year but proposes replacing 13 large buses this year using capital reserves, and emphasized there is “no impact on the tax levy as a result of this” because purchases are funded from reserves. The presenter also said the district has generated more revenue by auctioning retired buses (noting more than $220,000 in auction proceeds reported in the treasurer’s report).

On transportation aid, the presenter explained the non-allowable pupil decimal measures students transported who do not qualify for state aid (for example, within walk zones). He/she said the district is “losing about $1,300,000 in aid by transporting students that really could be in walk zones,” identifying a potential area to review for future savings.

Why it matters: transportation is one of the largest operational costs and driver shortages and replacement-cycle timing affect both operating and capital budgets. Funding bus purchases from reserves avoids immediate levy increases but reduces reserve balances that support future fleet replacements.

Status: the workshop included presentation of a bus-purchase resolution (approximately $2.2 million) to be considered by the board; no vote recorded in the transcript.