By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board approved a bid Monday night for a new activity bus.
The board opted to purchase a bus for $259,950 from National Bus Sales that had more safety features than a similar bus for $221,000. The school district had budgeted $304,000 for the bus purchase.
These extra features included a stronger steel frame, better flooring, air ride on the front and year, and motion control to help compensate when the bus hits a bumps, swerves or encounters wind.
Considering the amount of wind that northwest Kansas receives, Superintendent Ron Wilson said he thought the motion control feature would be worth the cost.
Russ Henningsen, transportation director, said he recommended the less expensive bus, because that is what other districts in the area have been purchasing for their schools.
The bus was scheduled to be purchased out of the 2020-21 capital outlay budget, but the board voted at its November meeting to purchase the bus this year.
This will reduce the amount of carry over in the capital outlay budget, but board members said the money would be replenished out of next year's budget.
Board member Sophia Rose Young said she would rather discuss maintenance and make sure there is enough money in the capital improvement fund for summer projects. However, she voted to approve the bus bid.
The board also agreed to set aside money from the transportation budget to do a graphic wrap of the bus. The wrap could cost $2,000 to $8,000.
The board only received bids from one company for the bus. A second company submitted a bid, but pulled the bid at the last minute because it was not allowed to sell this model of bus in this territory.
Henningsen said the bus should last 10 to 15 years. The bus will have 52 seats compared to the current activity bus, which has 42 seats. The new wide-body design will also have a wider aisle.