Chickasha officials report recurring fuel‑pump failures; district to limit some people‑movers to 60‑mile radius

District administrators told the Chickasha Board of Education that recurring fuel‑pump failures have emerged across a set of vehicles purchased between 2018 and 2023 and that the problem has forced repeated repairs.

A staff member described one school that replaced three fuel pumps on a single bus during an 18‑month period and said replacement pumps sometimes suffered the same faults. Administrators said the people‑mover vehicles commonly used for short trips begin experiencing problems around 40,000–45,000 miles and that the district will limit those vehicles to about a 60‑mile radius until it identifies a permanent fix.

The Superintendent told the board the district is piecing together the pattern and looking for a viable long‑term remedy. “These buses have all had issues with fuel pumps,” he said. A transportation staff member added: “What we are looking at is about a 60 mile radius … if we could stay within a 60 mile radius, we should be fine.”

Board members noted the rising cost of route buses since the bond passage — staff said route‑bus prices have increased roughly 60% — and discussed procurement strategies, including targeted replacements versus fleetwide purchase. The district also plans to replace a box truck used for child nutrition deliveries and will continue to evaluate lease‑purchase and financing options the board recently renewed for FY27.

The board discussed short‑term operational mitigations (limiting long trips, using service fleet vehicles where possible) and longer‑term procurement planning; no final vendor or recall action was announced at the meeting.