BRYAN, TX — On Feb 1., the Bryan ISD school board voted to approve spending $1,095,746, to purchase 11 new buses for the district.
During Warren Lanphier's presentation, the Director of Transportation noted how this will create an efficient standard replacement cycle.
According to Lanphier, by purchasing 10 to 12 buses every school year, the district can maintain a 12 to 15-year replacement cycle. Citing overall efficiency, Lanphier noted the decrease of "emergency calls" for broken-down buses on route as this plan has begun being implemented.
During his presentation, Lanphier noted how potentially purchasing 1-2 extra buses a year, could also serve to make up for 'gap-years' like 2009, where no purchases were budgeted.
“We are 21 buses outside of our 15-year cycle. Four years ago we were probably around 60 buses outside that cycle, so over the last several years we’ve really done a really great job of playing catch up,” noted Lanphier.
On a lighter note though, Lanphier shared how the department has worked around the growing, 'thickness' of bus seats as safety measures, particularly for the added comfort of the students.
"We gotta lot of real tall kids!" Lanphier teased before sharing their method of converting 78-seaters, to 72 seats, giving middle and high school kids, "...an extra-inch for the knees."
Finally, Lanphier noted on the district's plans to purchase travel buses for athletic/academic events, fit with interior, overhead, and also under head storage compartments.