$375k school bus buy proposed in St. Landry Parish

The St. Landry Parish School Board will be asked to buy seven used school buses when its meets this week.
The School Board Finance Committee approved the $375,500 purchase, which must go before the full board at its 4 p.m. meeting in Opelousas.
William Thibodeaux, transportation supervisor, said the used Lafayette Parish buses offer the “most bang for our buck.”
Six of the buses are regular “very well equipped” buses and the seventh is a equipped for the handicapped.
Mileage on the buses range from 48,000 to to 76,000 miles, he said.
The Finance Committee also approved St. Landry Bank to finance the purchase with 2.25 percent interest for five years.
Thibodeaux said the school system operates 161 routes.
Besides the Finance Committee, the Executive and Buildings, Lands and Sites committees met March 21.
Tressa Miller, finance director, cautioned the Finance Committee that the school system continues to operate on a tight budget.
At the end of February, the school system had a $3.3 million general fund balance, which was $4 million less than the same time in 2015.
The school system may end its fiscal year with a loss, she said.
The general fund has a $11.8 million in unreserved funds. A sales-tax-funded salary fund had a balance $4.2 million at the end of February. The salary fund was used last year to pay a $1,000 Christmas bonus costing a total of $2.5 million.
Miller suggested the School Board look again at providing a bonus to employees rather than a pay raise.
The school system’s fiscal year is from July through June.
“We are going to have to start taking a look at a lot of things,” Miller said.
The impact of state budget problems on the school system has not been determined, she said.
Board members are considering a retreat in May or June to discuss finances.