NEW PARIS — The future purchase of new buses was just one topic discussed by the National Trail Local Schools Board of Education during its Thursday, Feb. 22, meeting.
NT Transportation Director John Toschlog began his report to the board with information regarding new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s requirement for entry level driver training for all commercial drivers which initially set to go into effect Feb. 7. According to Toschlog, the Ohio Department of Education had applied for a waiver “because the pre-service program and Ohio School Bus Driver Training Program felt that their training standards exceeded those that the federal government was requiring for commercial driver’s license,” he said.
“However, it looks like this time that they have accepted that and that will go into effect March 24. The requirement for commercial driver’s licenses now for the entry level driver training requires classroom hours, theory training, and behind—the-wheel training. Ohio Administrative Code already requires 15 hours of classroom training and a minimum of four hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, so we exceeded the federal government’s level trainings, with the training that we’re having. There’ll just be a small requirement of having to put the information that we used to input to the State of Ohio, as well for the federal government records to show that we’ve met all the training requirements.”
Toschlog also shared information on the pricing of school buses.
“I’m constantly a victim of sticker shock,” he told board members. “Just to give you an idea, these are all 78 passenger school buses — we have been using the 78 passenger conventional model — a gasoline engine is listed at $93,000. A diesel engine for the same bus goes up to $94,000-$99,000. Propane powered buses the same size, same type, would be $103,000.”
He continued, “And if you go to the new electric buses, which are the latest and greatest, the price goes to $337,000. So, you can understand why those are not jumping off the lots just yet. However, those, the propane and electric do qualify for some of the grants. Unfortunately — but fortunately — we have clean air out here, and we don’t always qualify for some of those grants for those clean air uses.”
“The electric buses, if you can afford to buy them, are a nice idea, but I don’t think it’s really practical for our district to spend that much on a bus. Gasoline engines have been serving us quite well. Diesel engines have gotten to be a little bit expensive over the years with the repairs on them. So, at this point we’re looking for gasoline,” he told the board.
According to Superintendent Bob Fischer, the State of Ohio has come out with a bus purchasing program for schools. “They’re giving a certain amount based on the age of your fleet, etc.,” Fischer explained. “We were awarded $180,000 for four buses, but we have to buy four buses. So basically, it’s buy two, you get two free the way it’s set up for us. So, we are looking to use that this year. We have until 2023.”
He continued, “So we are looking at those prices to do that. We are planning ahead for investments to our fleet within the next fiscal year.”
“We’ve got that encumbered,” Fischer said of the funds to purchase buses. “It’ll be a big hit at once. But based on this, you have to use it all at once, you can’t space it out, or you can take it and you can use just half, depending on what you do. For us we figured, we’ve already allotted for those buses. We’re in the need of those buses. So, we’re going be looking at that and making those purchases.”
Toschlog said the district’s buses are aging. “We have several buses that are getting high in miles – the age of some of the buses we have, we still have the 1997 buses,” he added. An average bus route racks up approximately 95 miles per day.
In other business, school officials also recognized several students during the meeting.
NT Elementary and Middle and High School Students of the Month for November, December and January were recognized, as were Preble County Spelling Bee participants Archer Phillips and Reagan Holland. Holland won the county bee. Phillips went on to take the Scripps National Spelling Bee regional qualifying test and is one of 19 students who will move on to the next level of spelling competition.
Eagle Scouts Cooper Lee and Garland Weaver were also recognized. The two restored a footbridge and designed and constructed parking lot signs for a new food pantry at Wares Chapel United Methodist Church.
