Ballot Proposition 1
The Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District is proposing to buy five new school buses to stay on track with its bus replacement plan that is geared toward keeping maintenance costs low and providing a safe fleet to transport students.
The district is proposing to buy one microbus and four full-size gasoline buses for a total not to exceed $499,952. If voters approve the proposed purchase on May 17, the state would reimburse the district over a five-year period for about 70% of the cost of the new vehicles, which would replace four 65-passenger buses with miles between 121,000 and 131,000.
The proposed microbus would replace a 7-passenger van with 96,000 miles. The trade-in values of the buses would offset a portion of the purchase of the new buses, and local property taxes would pay the remainder of the cost.
Student and staff safety while on district transportation is a priority of the district as well as the state. All school buses must pass a rigorous state inspection that typically occurs twice annually. The district normally replaces its buses when it is no longer cost effective to make the repairs necessary to meet the state’s safety standards.
In 2020, the most recent year the state inspected J-D’s buses, the district had a 100% passing rate.
About 3,000 students are eligible for district transportation to public and private schools, and the district transports students to more than 30 school locations. In 2020, the district’s buses traveled more than 510,000 miles.
Ballot Proposition 2
On May 17, voters will also decide whether the board of education will purchase a front-end loader maintenance vehicle to be used for snow removal and other projects that require digging or moving large amounts of material.
If voters approve the purchase, which will appear as Proposition #2 on the budget ballot, the district would be authorized to spend up to $200,000 for the vehicle.
The front-end loader will aid in snow removal at J-D Middle School. Prior to the redesign of the school’s main parking lot and traffic circle, snow plows pushed snow to the sides of the lot and front circle. The redesign included adding much needed additional parking where snow used to be pushed.
The front-end loader would be used to completely remove snow from the parking areas so all parking spaces would be open for use rather than covered with snow. The vehicle would also be used throughout the year for such projects as landscaping, top dressing fields and parking lot maintenance and repairs.
Currently, when the maintenance department needs a front-end loader, the district rents one.
Vote Information
The two propositions will be on the school budget ballot. Voters will go to the polls 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 17 at J-D High School.
Information about the proposed 2022-23 school budget and board of education election is available on the Budget and Finance section of the website.