Fairfax School Board Agenda - Regular Meeting 10/14

There is an agenda item for tonight's school board meeting that has caught my eye.
Buses are to be the topic of discussion.

If we wish to retain our fleet as a resource we need to step forward and join the discussion.
Two years ago the need to purchase 4 buses over the following 5 years was identified for our town.
The bus article was defeated at last year's town meeting so now we need to purchase a bus a year to stay on track.
I truly believe Fairfax has made an invaluable investment in this resource and the cost to maintain it is paid back through our flexibility to transport our students.

Each of the 7 years I was on the school board our transportation supervisor was asked to analyze the financial impact of retaining the fleet or going out to bid.
There tended to be a savings in the first few years if the younger buses are used by the contracting company. After their value is absorbed the price goes up.
About ten years ago the town voted to invest in a garage that could assist in maintaining the 14 year average life of our buses. This is 4 years beyond commercial fleets.
That facility also provides maintenance for the field equipment and our drivers ed car. All these services are difficult to provide a true cost analysis of,
but there is a real cost if it all has to be contracted out.

Our students have benefited over the years through trips for all kinds of co-curricular events that would be too costly if a bus and driver had to be hired.
The community at large benefits through the ability to canvas the town on Green Up Day and even 'rent' a bus for a Historical Society tour to acquaint us with our town's
points of historical significance.

Let us have a fully informed town discussion before a decision is made to relinquish a fleet that holds an approximate one and a half million dollar replacement value.
I believe we can all agree that once it is gone we will never have this valued resource again.