The overview
CCISD will purchase Type A Lift Equipped buses, which “are used to transport Special Services students and only require a Class C driver’s license to operate,” according to district agenda documents.
Since the buses only require a Class C driver’s license to operate—while a normal school bus requires a commercial driver’s license, or CDL—it will help with staffing shortages while also having a positive impact on the district’s busing capacity, according to district documents.
The district received offers from multiple vendors for the buses. Vendors included Longhorn Bus Sales, Thomas Bus Sales and Rush Truck Centers, all of Houston. The district chose to purchase the buses from Rush Truck Centers through bond money and is requesting to spend $375,000 from funds, according to district documents.
Quote of note
“What’s great about this purchase is it’s open to more people,” board trustee Scott Bowen said. “There are drivers who can drive these who may not be able to drive one of the bigger buses. Anything we can do to make that easier for [the drivers].”
Also on the agenda
The board also approved multiple facility projects, including a $363,000 purchase for early childhood classroom furniture and instructional materials for the expansion of the tuition-based pre-K program, according to district documents.
Other projects include a purchase of over $35,900 for exterior repairs at the Learner Support Center, as well as concrete repairs, including adding more speed bumps to the back of the Learner Support Center building, for more than $5,900. The board also approved sidewalk repairs at Clear Creek High School for more than $26,000, according to district documents.
