ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The costs of school buses have risen due to inflation.
Here’s how Central Florida’s school districts are handling the rising cost to purchase new buses, which most districts replace every 10-12 years.
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Orange County
- How many students ride a bus? 51,000 students, or about 50% of eligible riders.
- How many buses are in the district? 1,020 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? There is a 8-10 year replacement cycle.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? Around 10% of the fleet is replaced annually.
- Is there a budget for it? The capital plan and budget covers the replacement costs. Orange County Public Schools has increased the budget by about 2-3% each year to cover the rising costs.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? Current pricing can be found on the Florida Department of Education website under “School Bus Bid Contracts and Documents”
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? The FDOE works with three approved vendors to set prices.
Osceola County
- How many students ride a bus? 29,000 out of 69,000 total students (around 40%).
- How many buses are in the district? Around 330 school buses serving 260-270 daily bus routes.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? Buses have a 10-year lifespan. Around 10% of the fleet is replaced annually.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? This year, 40 buses were purchased. The school board allocates money to transportation for a bus purchase budget yearly.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? Standard buses cost about $170,000 and accessible buses cost about $183,000. In 2020, buses cost around $123,000.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? Rising costs have not negatively impacted fleet maintenance or replacement. In previous years, fewer buses were purchased at cheaper costs (30 buses in 2020). The school district has been able to purchase more buses, even with the rising costs. The district’s funding for buses has increased despite the rising costs, but there are more factors involved in funding than just rising costs and inflation.
Flagler County
- How many students ride a bus? Over 7,000 students.
- How many buses are in the district? 86 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? Warranty, age of bus, safety (specifications that meet state and local regulations compliance), mileage, contrition of vehicle and classification (Type-C vehicles).
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? It varies by year, but the district purchases seven new buses.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? A school bus currently costs around $152,000 and cost around $110,000 in 2020.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? Due to the drastic cost increase, the district has not been able to order as many buses as usual.
Sumter County
- How many students ride a bus? 3,815 students.
- How many buses are in the district? 83 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? The School Board Policy has a 12-year replacement schedule for all district-owned school buses.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? Around 5-6 buses a year.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? A school bus currently costs around $147,000 -$150,000 for a 77 passenger. It cost around $102,000 for a 65 passenger school bus in 2020.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? Yes.
Seminole County
- How many students ride a bus? Over 32,000 students.
- How many buses are in the district? 289 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? There is a 10 year replacement cycle goal.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? The district’s 5-year average is 21 buses purchased a year. This includes grant funded bus purchases for alternative fuel grants. Bus purchases are subject to operational budget restrictions.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? With safety features included, new bus purchases are approximately $190,000 a bus. In 2020, the cost was $126,000 per bus.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? To offset the rising cost for bus purchase, the district purchases a 10-year warranty instead of the standard seven-year warranty. It allows the district three extra years of warranty work at a cost of just over $3,000 added onto the bus price.
Lake County
- How many students ride a bus? 17,500 students
- How many buses are in the district? 30 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? The district has a 15 year replacement cycle, 12 as a route bus and three as a spare bus.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? It varies by year, but a minimum of 22 buses are purchased each year.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? It currently costs $160,000-165,000 to purchase a bus. In 2020, the cost was $112,000-119,000.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? The district has have increased the annual purchase budget and reduced the number of buses to purchase.
Volusia County
- How many students ride a bus? 20,322 students, as of October 2024.
- How many buses are in the district? 230 school buses.
- What are the standards for replacing a bus? School buses are replaced every 12 years or at 200,000 miles.
- How many buses does the district purchase each year? The aim is to replace 10% of route buses each year. It is factored into the capital budget.
- What is the current cost to purchase a new school bus? Do you know how that compares to 2020? A school bus costs around $151,000 for a 77 passenger and $158,000 for an accessible bus. Buses in 2020 were around $105,000, and $111,000 in 2021.
- Has the district had to make any changes to its budget/purchasing power due to the rising cost of buses? The district has a five-year plan, revised each year with projected quantities and cost when the new pricing and ordering guide is available from the Department of Education. The district replaces 10% of route buses each year and those numbers can vary based on route needs.
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