Newington board urges town to reconsider reduced bus funding; district says seven buses needed

Board members on March 11 pressed town officials’ decision to scale back the district’s bus capital request, saying the reduction could leave the district short of needed vehicles and create safety or service risks.

Superintendent and finance staff told the board the town manager’s revised capital recommendation allocated $800,000 for buses, which the district estimates would purchase roughly five buses; the district says it needs seven replacements and had advocated for $950,000. A finance staff member summarized the range: “Total cost of the 7 buses roughly… $950,000.”

Board members said buses require regular inspections and that outsourcing or contracting services has not consistently reduced costs in neighboring towns. A board member urged the town council to observe contracted buses arriving from outside Newington to understand condition and oversight issues. The board also discussed using non-lapsing funds or realized savings as a short-term option but said that relying on one-time funds is not a sustainable habit.

The superintendent reported follow-up questions from the town council about the replacement cycle and other capital asks (parking-lot paving, roofs). Board members said they would continue to press for adequate capital funding and encouraged staff to provide additional documentation to the town (e.g., last paving or roof dates and vehicle counts).

No formal vote on the budget was taken at the board meeting; the board said it would continue to seek clarity from the town and monitor state funding (ECS) developments that could affect future offsets.