TRANSPORTATION
This chapter examines the Raymondville Independent School District's (RISD's) Transportation operations in two sections:
- A. Policies, Procedures, Operations and Staffing
- B. Vehicle Maintenance and Replacement
B. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT
RISD operates and maintains a fleet of 17 buses and four other vehicles at its Transportation facility. There is no documented bus replacement plan, but the director of Transportation and the mechanic annually assess the need for fleet repair and replacement. Exhibit 9-13 shows the bus inventory by age as of November 2001.
Exhibit 9-13 Source: RISD Transportation department, November 2001.
RISD Bus Fleet By Age
2001-02
Number of Buses Vehicle Age Regular Special Less than 5 years 3 1 5 to 10 years 4 2 Older than 10 years 7 0 Total 14 3 Exhibit 9-14 shows how the age of RISD buses compared with the age of peer district buses for 1999-2000. RISD ranked third (35.3 percent) for the number of buses older than 10 years.
Exhibit 9-14 Source: School Transportation Operations Reports, 1999-2000, TEA.
Comparison of Bus Age
RISD and Peer Districts
1999-2000
District Age Total
Number
of BusesPercentage of
Buses Older
than 10 Years1-5 Years 5-10 Years 10 Years
or GreaterLyford 8 1 8 17 47.1% Mathis 12 7 0 19 0.0% Raymondville 5 6 6 17 35.3% Taft 3 2 3 8 37.5% West Oso 5 5 3 13 23.1% FINDING
RISD has fuel storage tanks for its Transportation department and participates in a purchasing cooperative with other regional Transportation providers for bidding and buying such things as bulk fuel, tires, vehicle parts and supplies.
Fuel is purchased by credit card when drivers must refuel while out of town. Bus and vehicle parts to include tires and lubricants are purchased from the district's approved vendor list and through the cooperative with Region 1.
COMMENDATION
RISD has implemented the use of cooperative purchasing arrangements to purchase fuel, tires, lubricants and supplies at the best available prices.
FINDING
RISD does not have a formal bus replacement plan, but the district's bus procurement pattern is shown in Exhibit 9-15. The district has purchased four regular buses and one special education bus in the last five years.
Exhibit 9-15 Source: RISD Transportation department.
RISD Bus Inventory by Model Year
November 2001
School Bus Model Year Date of Purchase Number of Buses Regular Special 1979 Ward 72 Passenger 9/10/79 1 1981 Blue Bird 72 Passenger 6/02/81 1 1985 Ward 72 Passenger 9/01/85 1 1987 Wayne 72 Passenger 4/06/87 1 1987 Wayne 72 Passenger 4/06/87 1 1988 Blue Bird 72 Passenger 7/04/88 1 1990 Wayne 72 Passenger 5/23/89 1 1991 Ford E-350 16 Passenger 3/1/98 1 1991 Carpenter 72 Passenger 2/11/91 1 1991 Carpenter 72 Passenger 2/11/91 1 1992 Blue Bird 72 Passenger 7/30/92 1 1993 Carpenter 16 Passenger 2/09/93 1 1996 Thomas 72 Passenger 11/27/96 1 1997 Crown/Carpenter 72 Passenger 5/21/97 1 1998 Crown/Carpenter 72 Passenger 12/17/97 1 2001 Blue Bird 72 Passenger 8/01/00 1 2001 Blue Bird 72 Passenger 7/01/00 1 Total 14 3 Average Years of Age 11.6 7.3 The average age of RISD's bus fleet is 11.6 years for regular education buses and 7.3 years for special education buses. Districts that establish replacement plans based on an analysis of the fleet's age and condition and the district's capacity needs gain maximum use of their buses. Replacement plans also allow districts to budget funds for the orderly replacement of buses. A district can opt to purchase buses through the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) if the specifications of available buses meet their required criteria
TSPR recommends a 15-year bus replacement cycle. Districts with good maintenance programs can extend bus life beyond the recommended 15-year cycle before replacement is needed.
Comal ISD adopted a vehicle replacement plan designed to maintain the necessary fleet size and concurrently reduce bus hazards by replacing buses once they reach the end of their useful life. This plan of replacement allows for staggered replacement costs.
Recommendation 68:
Develop and implement a formal school bus replacement plan.
The bus replacement plan should be based on an analysis of the age, condition, and capacity of each bus in its fleet. This will help the district ensure that buses wear evenly and ensure that bus mileage can be accumulated evenly. Rotation of buses may also help identify which route combinations most evenly accrue mileage. Implementing a 15-year bus replacement plan with a fleet of 17 buses, Raymondville ISD should budget for the purchase of one bus each year. The bus replacement plan should remain flexible and anticipate changes in student enrollment.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The director of Transportation determines a maximum age and mileage target for all district buses. April 2002 2. The director of Transportation adopts a bus rotation plan, which considers level of preventive maintenance, mileage targets and age of buses. May 2002 3. The director of Transportation and the mechanic monitor overall condition of the bus fleet to include annual mileage, wear and tear on rough routes, repair expenditures and age of individual buses. May 2002 - Ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
RISD currently averages purchasing one bus each year. Assuming the purchase of 47-passenger buses over the next five years at an average price of $51,000, the district can save approximately $10,000 in each year based on the current average purchase price for a 72-passenger bus of approximately $61,000. Planning for the purchase of smaller capacity buses could also save the district in fuel expenses, insurance and decreased maintenance expenses.
Recommendation 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Develop and implement a formal school bus replacement plan. $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000