One plan called for the district to replace buses at a rate of 20 to 30 a year but the plan agreed to on Tuesday will allow for the district to replace more buses up front, at a lower cost, Baguirov argued.
The board agreed with Baguirov in a seven to one vote, just a day after a heated finance committee meeting. The buses could be in use by the start of next school year, Baguirov said.
“The chief complaint that we hear is busing. Our number one problem, operationally, is transportation,” Baguirov said. “Without buses, without getting from point A to point B on time we will fail academically.”
Making the large purchase or leasing of buses up front will save the district money in the long run as bus prices increase, Baguirov said. He also cautioned board members on relying too much on state and federal funds that have helped the district purchase things in the past.
“They’re essentially going to zero this year,” Baguirov said. “We all know what’s happening to the EPA and we all know what’s happening to the state budget.”
Lacey was the only member to vote against the bus proposal. Moving forward with the proposal means the board is making buses a bigger priority than educating students, Lacey said.
“Education is the number one problem in this district. We have an F in our performance and we need to improve it,” Lacey said, referencing a state report card rating. “That is our biggest problem and we need to face that problem and make it our number one priority.”
The district’s oldest bus is 27 years old. The district budgeted $2.6 million for 2016-2017 to buy new school buses. The district would be able to acquire about 30 new buses.
Depending on what financing option the board chooses, Baguirov said, the annual cost to the district could be between $1.1 million to $2.1 million. The length of financing period could be five to 10 years.
Board members also approved a development agreement with Dayton Metro Library on Tuesday that will allow for a $10 million library branch to be built on the grounds of Belmont High School.
Three members opposed the library agreement because of its location, among other factors.
Board member Sheila Taylor expressed concern for the library’s location next to a baseball field. The parking lot and library entrance will be “right in the line of where these balls are going to be hit,” she said.
The benefits of having a library near a school outweigh most negative impacts though, Lacey argued. He was joined in supporting the library by board president Robert Walker, vice president Hazel Roundtree and Ronald Lee.
“I challenge, especially the principal of Belmont to take advantage of the fact that you will be a stone’s throw from a Dayton public library,” Lacey said.
The plan calls for the library to purchase 2.75 acres of school land at the intersection of Wayne and Watervliet, currently serving as a single softball diamond.
The library would construct its 24,000 square-foot building and a parking lot there, and would pay to create a new softball diamond behind the school. Like other library construction in the county, this would be paid via the levy that voters passed in 2012.
About the Author