District proposes $1.6M bus purchase and radio buy as part of 2026–27 budget

Transportation staff told the board the district traveled roughly 1,000,000 miles last year, served 26 district schools, ran more than 500 field and sports trips, and handled about 700 daycare and alternate-site requests. Fleet-age data showed 24 buses older than 11 years, 19 between eight and ten years, 13 at six to seven years and 44 buses aged one to five years.

As part of the bus-replacement plan, the administration said it will ask voters to approve a proposition to purchase 10 diesel buses (a proposed mix described as one 30-passenger, two 20-passenger and seven 65-passenger buses) with an estimated cost of $1,600,000. The district noted that state policy currently phases out diesel-bus purchases by 2027, prompting a multi-year transition plan.

The administration also presented a one-time purchase of radios for transportation and building operations to replace leased equipment; presenters said the seven-year warranty and aggregate purchase cost made buying more cost-effective than continuing to lease.

What to watch: the bus purchase will be on the May ballot as a separate proposition. The transcript records the board’s decision to move a capital proposition forward to the ballot for voter consideration (Bond Proposition 2 was taken from the consent agenda and passed by roll call in the provided record). Final procurement and vehicle specifications will be set if voters approve the proposition.