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Bill Would Allow Escambia To Use School Construction Funds For New Buses
April 11, 2013
Escambia County and other school districts would be allowed to shift sales tax money voters have approved for school construction towards the purchase of new school buses, under a bill moving in the House.
The Finance and Tax Subcommittee backed a proposal on Wednesday that would allow school districts to use the School Capital Outlay Surtax, also known as the “school half-cent sales tax,” to purchase new buses. Currently, Escambia, Santa Rosa and 13 other districts use the voter approved sales tax that is expected to generate $351 million this school year.
Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said the intent of his proposal is to have the new school buses run on alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas rather than the more expensive diesel. But the bill doesn’t specify the fuel requirement for the new buses.
There are 18,574 school buses in use by Florida’s public schools, of which nearly one-third are 11 years or older. An average 65-passenger bus cost $93,400 a year ago, according to a state staff analysis.
While the House effort must still go before the Appropriations Committee, the Senate companion bill) has yet to reach its first of three scheduled committee stops.
Escambia County currently has two major half-cent sales tax construction projects in the works — a new $16.5 million Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill and a newly rebuilt A.K. Suter Elementary in Pensacola for $21.5 million .
Comments
11 Responses to “Bill Would Allow Escambia To Use School Construction Funds For New Buses”
Suter is a new construction too.
Just curious??? Why does it take does it take 21.5 million to RENOVATE a elementary school (A K Sutter) in Pensacola and only 16.5 million to CONSTUCT a NEW middle school (Ernest Ward) at Walnut Hill? Is that where the extra funding for buses come from?
per:Oversight.. the problem is the County isnt using the money on roads or other things that was supposed to be using the local options tax money for. years ago(25years) the county raised gas tax 6 cents a gallon and did it go for roads (very little) then the money went into the general budget pot and we all are still paying that gas tax increase.
REGARDING:
“And David (not the other David) ”
You heard that this morning, did you?
David for humor
REGARDING:
“seat belts are a horrible addition to any school bus. You buckle them in, walk to the front and sit down, before you start the bus half the seat belts are either on the floor or being used to whack a seatmate with. The kids are safer without them. ”
True.
Unless the bus is turned upside down or laid on its side, the children are safer without seat belts. In the case of a collision, the cushion in front of every child can spread out the force and do minimum damage. If a seat belt is worn on a bus, the force of stopping the child is transmitted just through the seat belt, the forces are much higher and injuries are more likely.
(Cars don’t have that wide, smooth cushion in front of them and are much more likely to have the rider ejected and rolled over and crushed by the vehicle, so they are safer WITH seat belts.)
Ah well, we live with whatever the-powers-that-be mandate and try to not wreck the buses in the first place.
David for perfect passengers
and perfect drivers all around
Yep, your right about that John. The north end has the best mechanics anywhere! And David (not the other David) mine just rolled 144250 this morning.
Robert, the higher seat backs may seem safer but the driver cant see the kids anymore, especially the little ones. And in my humble but very experianced opinion, seat belts are a horrible addition to any school bus. You buckle them in, walk to the front and sit down, before you start the bus half the seat belts are either on the floor or being used to whack a seatmate with. The kids are safer without them. And before you tell me we should have better control, I challenge you, or any one else, to get on a bus with 50+ kids and watch them while also watching the traffic, etc. It can be done, we do it every day, but its a challenge to say the least.
Not trying to start a war here, just offering a bit of education.
I wouldn’t mind a little more money being used towards the purchases of new school buses. I’ve noticed that in the past couple of years, Escambia hasn’t been purchasing nearly as many school buses per school year as they used to. In 2009 and prior years they’ve gotten up to over 30-40 school buses per school year, but the past few years it’s only been about 20-26.
When you consider that the newest buses have better safety standards such as higher seat backs, seat belts, and certainly have cleaner emissions than the oldest ones, I think it would be a wise investment.
Thank you to the citizens of Escambia County and to the district’s 1/2 cent sales tax watchdog group. This funding has allowed schools to be renovated, built from the ground up and many improvements to be made for our children. The addition of being able to purchase new and more efficient and safer school busses is a great idea. Let’s hope that our legislator’s see the value in this and approve all things needed. Again, thanks to the watchdog group and to Mr. Thomas and his staff for doing great things for Escambia County’s children and schools.
BUT MR GEEEN…YOU HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL MECHANICS TO FIX AND REPAIR THAT BUS…JOHN AND TRACY….AMEN
I’m not opposed, especially since I’m in a bus with nearly 160,000 miles and counting after some seven years, but please note that a vote approves a tax for a specified purpose and that purpose is often ignored and other uses are found for this FREE MONEY.
David for honesty
Sure, why not? The county uses its one cent local option sales tax, which was passed because it’d be used to pave roads, to buy vehicles.