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PSS expects 2 new school buses next year
The Public School System can expect two new buses next year, according to PSS federal program officer Tim Thornburg, helping fill the need for transportation created by the transformation of elementary schools into middle schools earlier this year.
Money for the new buses will come from newly appropriated money from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation.
“With the transformation of three of our middle schools and elementary schools, we’ve been busing more students now. For example, Tanapag [Elementary] is a middle school now and that means all the K-through-fifth grade needs to be bused to GTC [Gregorio T. Camacho],” he said in an interview.
This is the same for Dandan Middle School and San Antonio Middle School, which were previously elementary schools, he said.
According to Thornburg, the delegation appropriated $250,000 last year for the purchase of two buses but when bids came back in, costs came out to $279,000.
Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan wrote to the governor asking to reprogram money for buses but never got an answer, according to Thornburg. But last week, their legislative consultant, Diego Benavente, informed PSS that the delegation “graciously granted” $30,000 for the purchase, he said.
The new money will be enough to purchase the buses and ship them to the island.
“We are hopeful we’ll have those two buses probably in June or July, because when you purchase a bus…that’s when they start making the bus. Once we can sign the contract with Triple J, who is the winning bidder, they will order the bus and in six months it will get here,” Thornburg said.
The two new buses will be 42-foot Bluebird buses that can accommodate up to 62 passengers, according to Thornburg. It will bring PSS bus fleet up to 18 buses, he said.
“We are very grateful for all the members of the legislative delegation for this supplemental appropriation. It enables us now to purchase the buses. …It will help all our schools. Anytime you have a full fleet of buses, you will be able to get kids to school on time, which so important,” he said.
According to Thornburg, about 2,400 students ride buses from home to school everyday, while 2,800 ride the buses from school to home after school.
