STORY OPPORTUNITY PLEASE RELEASE: March 24, 2004 Bus and large equipment purchase plan to be on the ballot May 18 $298,499 plan has no impact on tax rate for 2004-05; Board of Education also schedules Saturday, April 3, work session Last year, Scotia-Glenville buses traveled more than a half million miles transporting 2,174 students to and from school. That breaks down to nearly 2,200 miles per day. With that kind of wear and tear on the buses, they are bound to need replacing on a regular schedule. The Board of Education on Monday agreed to put a bus purchase plan totaling $298,499 before the voters on May 18. The plan will not affect next year's proposed tax rate because the money will be borrow and reimbursed by the state in the following years. The plan calls for buying: • 3 28-passenger diesel buses. These would replace buses 125, 126 and 134, which have been in use since 1995. All have excessive underbody corrosion. • 2 seven-passenger Suburbans for transporting smaller numbers of students and for the driver education program. These would replace vehicles 128 and 129 – Chevrolet Luminas that date from 1995. The two buses being replaced have also been flagged by the state Department of Transportation because of underbody corrosion. • Replace the district's courier van (used to deliver food the schools in the morning and for regular courier business) and two large lawn mowers. One of the mowers is more than 30 years old and is expensive to maintain. Both of the mowers are Jacobsens and would be purchased on state contract. One would also have a snowthrower attached for winter use in clearing sidewalks and other areas. In other business Monday, the board also voted to hold a work session from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 3 at the District Office. The meeting is open to the public. Board members asked for a separate meeting to discuss the budget in addition to the scheduled meetings on March 29 and April 5 at 7 p.m. at the Middle School. Budget adoption is expected April 19. MEDIA: For more information, contact Superintendent Michael J. Marcelle at 382-1215 or Robert Hanlon, Communications Office, at 386-4343