Students will be riding in style in one of the two new school buses coming to School District 20 (Kootenay Columbia), but not until next year.
The province has bequeathed the local district with $218,954 in cash to purchase two new school buses as part of its annual fleet renewal program, but the new buses won’t be delivered until next spring.
The Kootenay Columbia School District will purchase two new buses that can transport more than 80 students each.
Using the province’s standard offer pricing model—through the Association of School Transportation Services of B.C.—the school district will be able to take advantage of low pricing and save up to 15 per cent each year in cost, as well as significant administrative and staff time.
The school district will also save money in maintenance costs as the new vehicles will replace aging ones, said Boundary-Similkameen Liberal MLA Linda Larson.
“These new school buses will save the school districts … money that can be invested back into the classroom,” she said in a press release.
The nearby Boundary School District was given $416,974 for three new buses, Kootenay Lake (SD 8) was handed $437,908 for four new buses and the Okanagan Similkameen School District was also given cash for one bus, worth $109,477.
“I am so pleased to see these districts receiving new school buses that will keep students in our communities safe during their trip to and from school,” Larson said.
In order to qualify for replacement, a bus needs to be on a regular route to school, and have met or exceeded the following criteria regarding age and mileage: 80 plus passenger buses—15 years or 400,000 kilometres.
All told, the provincial government is providing $11 million to 31 school districts to purchase 96 buses.