St. Charles School Board members approve purchase of new school buses

St. Charles District 303 School Board members approved the purchase of two new wheelchair accessible school buses at the Sept. 11 meeting.

The purchase of two 2023 Micro Bird 24-passenger lift buses from Central States Bus Sales in Oswego was approved in a unanimous vote as part of the consent agenda without discussion.

Chief Operating Officer Justin Attaway presented the administration’s recommendation to buy the buses at a special school board meeting Sept. 5. Attaway said there was an immediate need for buses equipped with wheelchair lifts in the district.

The buses cost $112,000 each for a total of $224,000. To offset some of the cost, the district will trade in six 2016 Chevrolet Collins buses, which no longer are needed.

Disposal of the six buses will not negatively impact the district’s daily transportation operations and the district will receive about $9,000 for each bus.

The administration evaluates the need to replace buses and other transportation vehicles annually based on mileage and years of service. The district receives reimbursement from the state for the first five years the buses are in service.