The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet Wednesday evening in the High School Media Center, during a regular session. On their agenda for the 5:30-p.m. meeting, is a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2015 Audit and action on approving the Audit Report.

The Board will also act on approving the resignation of High School Math/Freshman Baseball Coach Paul Dudley, and hold the second reading of their 300 series Board Policies, as well as the first reading of 400 series Policies. Discussion items include those pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2017 Certified Budget, and Summer Capital Projects.

Transportation Director Dave Eckles is expected to inform the Board that the School District is in need of at least two, new school buses during the upcoming budget year. Eckles proposes the Board consider purchasing up to four buses, using a lease-to-own option, which would allow the District to put down the purchase price of one bus, and make three more equal payments over the following three-years, which he says equates to paying for one bus per year. He also proposes the buses be propane-powered, since they tend to reduce the Transportation Department’s overall budget. The proposed, 4-year bus lease would cost the District $100,000.

Eckles says of the 19 yellow school buses the District currently owns, six were placed Out of Service (OS), while five others were given 30-days to make repairs. Three of the OS buses have common issues that can be fixed. Another, 16-year old bus has some minor welding issues, but is “rapidly decaying,” according to Eckles. One of the OS buses, which is 17-years old, has a minor issue to fix in order for it to come back into service. The final bus that’s Out Of Service has had an engine failure, and at 15-years of age, is not worthy of repair, according to Eckles.

The bus fleet has an average age of 10.37-years. Most buses he says typically have a useful life of 12-to 15-years, if well maintained. New buses capable of hauling 65 passengers, will have three-point seat belts installed, which would increase the price of those buses by $5,000 to $10,000. Regardless of the seat belt configuration, Eckles says dealers have told him a new 65 passenger bus would cost roughly $95,000.