By Matt Clevenger
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TROY – Troy City Schools will soon receive several upgrades to the district’s bus and transportation system, including the purchase of three additional buses and the installation of GPS tracking systems on the district’s fleet.
The Troy City Schools Board of Education voted to approve the tender for the three new buses during their regular meeting on Monday, August 8th.
Board members also voted to approve the district’s bus stop plan for the 2023-2024 school year.
“There should be little or no change,” said Dave Dilbone, principal of Troy High School. “We brought back a route that existed and that we couldn’t offer.”
Board members also discussed GPS tracking systems that are currently being installed on district buses at no cost to the district. The facilities and installation are financed by a government grant.
“We received almost $900,000 in security grants from the state of Ohio,” said District Superintendent Chris Piper. “Part of it was dedicated to the buses.”
“You’re not ready yet,” he said. “I believe they are still ordering and installing these on our buses at this time.”
“The plan is to implement that as soon as possible,” Piper said. “It provides detailed driving directions for the driver, which can be very important, especially for a replacement bus driver. We can also use it to track our buses live. Once we have it up and running, parents will be able to see where their child’s bus is.”
“That’s great,” said CEO Sue Borchers. “I would say that is a valuable use of these funds.”
The board members then approved a resolution formally accepting $45.6 million in federal funding from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) Classroom Facilities Assistance Program for proposed construction of new school buildings.
“The OFCC has officially offered us funding,” said District Treasurer Jeff Price. “It’s available.”
The board members also voted to accept donations of $342.36 for the month and thanked all donations to Troy City Schools. The district has received a total of $1,284.22 in donations so far this fiscal year.
“A lot of things come together for back to school this time of year,” Piper said. “Many organizations in the community provide school supplies.”
“This room will be filled with school supplies that will be distributed to our school counselors to give to children who need them,” he said. “It’s usually a time of giving to the community and we’re very grateful for that.”
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