The Greene County School Board recently approved purchasing vehicles and equipment this school year.

The Board approved purchasing a 2019 Dodge Caravan from Stew Hansen’s in Des Moines for for $22,785. Superintendent Tim Christensen says the additional van is needed, due to having to take some special education students out of the district to other facilities. Another purchase the Board approved was three 77-passenger buses from Hoglund Bus. One will be purchased for $91,000 this school year and the other two will be purchased after the start of the next fiscal year for $190,000 total. Christensen says the District has been leasing three buses since 2016 and he explains why they want to purchase three new ones instead of leasing them.

“Then at the end of that three years, which is next year, we either have to purchase those or purchase new buses. (The Board) just didn’t feel that the purchase of those next year is going to be in our best interest. So (we’re) looking at purchasing three new buses.”

With the new Iowa law that requires any newly manufactured buses after October 1st to have seat belts installed, Christensen explains that situation with the new buses the District will be buying.

“Any bus manufactured after that date is required to have seat belts, which increases the price about $10,000 per bus. The buses we’re looking at were manufactured prior to October 1st.”

The final purchase approved by the Board is a new Utility Transportation Vehicle (UTV) with a blade plow kit for $3,106. The projected cost for this fiscal year is about $116,891 and for next year it will be $190,000.