District Outlines Proposal to Replace Aging Bus Fleet

Casey-Westfield School Board Meeting | November 2025

Article Summary: Superintendent Shackelford presented a plan to lease-purchase nine new buses to replace the current fleet before the existing lease expires in 2026.

Bus Fleet Proposal Key Points:

• Lease Expiration: The current lease on the district’s route bus fleet expires on July 1, 2026.

• Proposal Cost: The total cost for nine new buses is $1,395,000, payable in annual installments of $279,000.

• Ownership: Unlike the current arrangement, the district would own the buses at the end of the proposed five-year term.

During the Casey-Westfield School Board meeting on Monday, November 17, 2025, Superintendent Shackelford outlined a proposal to update the district’s transportation fleet.

The lease on the current fleet of route buses is set to expire on July 1, 2026. At that time, the buses will be six years old and are expected to have approximately 100,000 miles on them.

Shackelford presented proposals received for replacing all nine buses. He identified the best proposal as coming from Midwest Transit, which offered nine buses at a cost of $145,000 each. The plan involves a total cost of $1,395,000 spread over five annual lease-purchase installments of $279,000 per year.

Under this proposed structure, the Board would own the buses outright at the conclusion of the five-year term. No formal vote on the purchase was recorded in the minutes during this discussion.