Lawton board pulls electric‑bus purchase orders, moves to buy diesel buses

The Lawton Public Schools Board of Education voted June 16 to pull two purchase orders tied to a federal electric‑bus grant and to pursue diesel replacements, citing rising costs, vendor bankruptcy and infrastructure constraints.

Assistant Superintendent Lance Gibbs told the board the district originally planned to buy 23 electric buses under an EPA grant but the first‑round vendor, Lion Bus, went bankrupt and costs have escalated. "The increased cost comes out of the district's budget," Gibbs said, arguing that delays only increase the district's exposure. He recommended abandoning the electric grant and approving diesel purchases using the $1.3 million the district had already committed.

The board followed administration guidance during the consent‑agenda process to remove purchase orders 72 and 73 (the electric‑bus POs) for separate handling and to advance purchase order 71 for diesel buses. Board members then approved the remainder of the consent agenda by roll call; the subsequent open‑session votes on the pulled items recorded affirmative votes from all present members: Miss Claudefelter, Miss Nyward, Miss Fabrica, Miss McBride and Mr. Rice.

Administration said the district has limited grant flexibility: the EPA award required purchase of a fixed number of buses, and price increases meant the district would need to absorb the difference. Gibbs noted additional operational and fiscal concerns with electric buses — heavier vehicle weight, the need for charging infrastructure in some flood‑prone sites and an estimated useful life the staff presented as shorter than diesel units. "If we wait another three or four months for us to get approval, it's just going to be more," Gibbs said.

Staff outlined fleet and budget figures: the district reported a fleet that includes 20 mini buses, 80 diesel route buses and 10 activity buses. Gibbs said the district had committed $1.3 million toward the electric buses and could add approximately $830,000 in impact‑aid funds; administration estimated the $1.3 million would allow purchase of a smaller set of diesel buses now, avoiding further cost escalation tied to the grant procurement delays.

Board members asked about lifecycle and replacement cadence. District staff recommended replacing diesel units approximately every 10 years, and presented a conservative replacement plan for mini, route and activity buses. The administration also flagged operational tradeoffs — chargers, site upgrades and potential warranty or maintenance differences — that informed the recommendation to shift away from the electric‑bus procurement.

Next steps: administration will process the purchase‑order changes and move forward with diesel procurement planning; board members did not identify additional requirements before staff completes the procurement.