The Princeton R-5 School District might be the first in the area to have an electric bus if all goes well with the financing for the acquisition.
According to Superintendent Jerry Girdner, the board is just beginning the process of seeking funding for the possible purchase of an electric bus and approved a resolution for acceptance and compliance with various requirements to obtain financial assistance from the USDA-Rural Development. Girdner said an electric bus can cost as much as $400,000 as opposed to the approximate $100,000 cost of a conventional diesel-powered bus. Girdner said funding is being sought not only through the USDA, but also through the Department of Natural Resources/ Volkswagen Trust Fund and local grants. If using those grants can reduce the cost of an electric bus to around that of a diesel bus, the district is interested in purchasing one. Girdner said there are many questions to be answered, such as the size and battery range needed. The district is initially looking at a 71-passenger bus with a 125-mile battery range. He said he has visited with representatives of Grundy Electric Cooperative concerning the initial infrastructure that would be needed to develop a charging station.
Girdner said the selling point of an electric bus is the savings for fuel and maintenance, but questions such as how much battery replacements would cost and what it would cost to dispose of them still need to be answered. At this time, he said, the district is exploring its options, with more information to come as it is gathered.
Board members also heard an update on the ballfield relocation project, learning that the Federal Land, Water and Conservation Fund grant that is administered through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources received approval last week. That means the project should receive its notice to proceed in the near future and allow construction on the fields to begin this fall.
The board approved the addition of the Newtown-Harris R-3 School District to the Transportation Co-operative. Newtown-Harris will pay the Princeton School District an annual fee of $8,000, with the Princeton district to provide access to their mechanic for preventative maintenance, oil changes, bus inspections, computer diagnostics and routine repairs. Grundy R-5 and Spickard R-2 are already part of the cooperative and have agreements with Princeton.
In other business, the board approved the Special Education Model Compliance Plan that was made available by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Department. In addition, board members agreed to complete the Refresher Board Training video prior to the October meeting to fulfill the requirements stipulated by state statute.
Following a closed session, the board approved the employment of Danette Snapp as assistant varsity girls basketball coach and accepted the resignation of Holly Hernandez as food service cashier.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11.
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