Marion County Public Schools is moving to purchase 22 new school buses at a cost of nearly $4 million, even as the district continues to struggle to find enough drivers to get behind the wheel.

School board members are scheduled to vote on the purchase, which is already funded through capital dollars built into the district’s budget.

A Necessary Investment, Even With Obstacles

Kevin Christian, a spokesperson for Marion County Public Schools, said the district makes it a priority to replace about 10 percent of its 250-bus fleet each year — a routine practice that continues regardless of the staffing challenges.

“It’s an incredibly difficult task many times to find qualified people to be behind the wheel or even be on the bus with students,” Christian said.

The 22 new buses will not be available for at least another year, meaning they will not immediately address the driver shortage or accelerate the phase-out of older vehicles. All buses come pre-equipped with GPS and surveillance cameras.

“I think everyone wants safe, reliable, dependable school bus transportation for our students,” Christian said. “And that’s what this purchase does. It replaces some of the older buses in our fleet.”

District Also Seeking to Hire Bus Aides

Along with the new buses, the district is looking to hire 18 bus aides to ride with students who have special needs.

The dual investment has drawn mixed reactions on social media. Some residents say they welcome newer buses, while others question the logic of expanding the fleet when there are not enough drivers to fill current routes.

Despite the ongoing shortage, Christian said rotating new buses into the fleet remains a priority for the district.

The purchase is considered likely to be approved at the school board meeting Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. given that the funding is already included in the budget.