Maintenance and transportation report: deferred‑maintenance projects underway; electric bus rollout delayed to August
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Summary
The district’s director of maintenance, transportation and operations reported completed and upcoming facility projects, new safety measures, and an ongoing plan to replace diesel buses with electric vehicles. Charging infrastructure is delayed; staff installed interim Level‑2 chargers and expect full transformer work in August 2025.
At the board meeting, Director of Maintenance, Transportation and Operations Christine Rosato gave an update on facilities projects, safety work and the district’s electric bus rollout.
Rosato said the district has completed ESS program space at Lakeside Farms and Lakeview, plans renovations to the Winter Gardens kitchen and enrolls resurfacing and other summer deferred‑maintenance projects. She said the district has issued two RFPs — one for architectural/professional services and one for a long‑range facilities plan due in April.
On safety and operations, Rosato said the department has updated fire evacuation maps for every classroom, revised material safety data sheets, re‑tested longstanding work orders and increased on‑the‑job training and tailgate safety topics. She said custodial and maintenance teams are adopting mapping tools and updated checklists to increase summer cleaning efficiency.
On fleet electrification, Rosato described a multi‑phase rollout: the district has taken delivery of 15 large buses and will decommission eight gas buses and six short buses as electric replacements come into service. Eight shorter electric buses are in production, she said, and the district expects to receive them soon. Rosato told the board that the contractor‑installed transformer that would enable full charging was delayed and now is expected in August 2025. As an interim fix staff have installed Level‑2 chargers and are using those to keep buses operational until the transformer arrives. “The transformer is delayed; we’re expecting it in August of 2025,” Rosato said.
Trustees asked about disposal of old buses; Rosato said the district decommissions buses through an approved vendor that provides certificates of destruction and handles recovery of regulated components.
Trustees and staff agreed to schedule site visits for board members to inspect new electric buses and charging setups once the district completes training and infrastructure work.