With some changes made in the Transportation Department, more Mount Markham Central School District buses are passing inspections by the state.
Transportation Director Brian Mattison gave a report at last week’s Board of Education meeting.
Mattison said the new lifts, part of the district’s recent construction project, have made a significant difference in maintaining the buses.
Buses are required to pass a state inspection to remain in operation.
A few years ago, Mattison said, the district’s passing rate was 78.5 percent.
At 75 percent or lower, a district falls below the minimum to operate independently. The next year, the rate went up to 81 percent.
Last year MMCSD had a passing rate of 88.5 percent. Mattison said 10 of the 36 buses remain to be inspected this year.
If they all pass the rate will be just under 90 percent, he said.
The District is down one mechanic and operating with two right now. Three new buses are on order, due in the Fall.
Two new buses that came last fall have yet to be put on the road, Mattison said. They arrived with mechanical issues still being fixed.
Some rust on a couple of buses caused them to fail inspection, Mattison said. Both have been repaired and are in operation. Eight buses are rotated among the ones used daily.
Mt. Markham has 21 drivers to handle 25 routes.
Mattison said some drivers do a second route when their first is done.
So far this school year has been relatively accident-free, he said.
Mattison said it appears the directive to go to electric buses will be pushed back. He said enough buses cannot be produced to meet the deadline.
Mattison and his crew set up daily record-keeping for each bus and setting up a workload each day.
That has helped the department stay on top of repairs prior to inspections. The meeting, which went about 90 minutes, was led by Board Vice President Philip Casler and opened with a 20-minute executive session.
Mattison, who is also the district’s director of food service, spoke about the changes since September, when the food program moved in-house. Some areas being added with the construction project are in the works, he said.
This month, an adult menu for staff members to order lunch began.
Induction burners at the elementary and middle schools allow for boiling water and giving more variety to what can be prepared.
Mt. Markham has also taken on preparing meals for the Head Start program at the ...
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