District to seek voter approval for up to $2.5 million in new buses as officials weigh buy vs. lease

At the May 7 budget hearing, Eldred Central School District staff announced Proposition 3: a ballot question asking voters to authorize the purchase and financing of school buses and related equipment not to exceed $2,500,000.

The proposition as presented would fund 13 vehicles: eleven 66-passenger buses, one 48-passenger bus and one 30-passenger bus to replace the district’s existing 12 66-passenger and three 20-passenger vehicles. "This will be a purchase of 11 66 passenger vehicles, 1 48 passenger, and 1 30 passenger to replace our current fleet," the presenter said.

District staff said the cost of diesel buses has climbed sharply. "Unfortunately, the cost of buses has gone up 41.65%," the presenter said, and added that electric buses are substantially more expensive even after available state vouchers. The presenter noted New York’s voucher of $135,000 still leaves an electric bus at about $300,000 each in the district’s examples.

Officials reviewed a lease-versus-purchase comparison, using conservative repair and interest assumptions. The presenter said that, on the figures shown, buying over an eight-year schedule would be modestly less costly than leasing over that period, but emphasized that interest-rate assumptions, future aid levels and repair-cost variability materially affect the outcome.

The district also referenced its transportation study, which examined routing and start/stop times and concluded that consolidating to a single-tier run did not produce cost savings in prior modeling. Board members asked clarifying questions about routing logistics and staffing implications.

Because this is a voter proposition, the board did not act on the purchase at the meeting; the item is slated for resolution via the May 19, 2026 ballot.