Huntsville, TN (2011-08-11) The Scott County Board of Education acted on numerous agenda items Thursday night, most of them in preparation for the new school year. Among those items was the purchase of two new school buses for the district’s transportation department.
Meeting in regular session, the Scott County Board of Education agreed to purchase two new school buses Thursday night, including one that will largely be used for transporting students to athletic events and other out-of-county trips. Acting on the recommendation of Transportation Supervisor George Boles, the Board of Education agreed to upsize the motor of one of those buses, a measure that would provide more pulling power. In requesting the change, Boles noted that the current buses in the district’s fleet had difficulty pulling steep grades, especially when loaded with students and their baggage for out-out-county trips. The larger engine, which will provide an additional 30-horsepower, added $3,742 to the 78-passenger bus’ base price, $81,776.59. The Board also approved the addition of air conditioning and surveillance equipment to the package, which bumped the final cost to $94,511.59. The Board further voted to purchase a 66-passenger bus from the same company (and low bidder), Cumberland International, which, with air conditioning and surveillance equipment, cost $89,764.33. The district will pay for the buses from reserve funds from its fund balance.
In a related matter, the Board also approved a pair of private bus runs for the 2011-2012 school year, awarding those runs to Kathy Henson Russ and Pamela Jeffers.
In preparation for the coming year, the Board voted to:
§ Execute a contract with the Children’s Center of the Cumberlands to provide child abuse education classes to all county schools. The contract will cost the district $25,000;
§ Approved a contract with local certified public accountant Dennis E. Jeffers to audit the district’s various activity and cafeteria accounts for the current fiscal year; and,
§ Approved the purchase of an oven for Huntsville Elementary/Middle School from the low bidder, Strategic, in the amount of $43,318.