As another sweltering fall semester looms, the Livingston Parish School Board moved forward with a plan to retrofit 151 school buses with air conditioning in a bid to keep students cool and attract more drivers.
Livingston Parish bus drivers have complained for several years that their buses are too hot to be comfortable or safe for either themselves or the children who ride them. Drivers in neighboring parishes and districts have expressed similar concerns. In the past, school leaders have discussed the potential cost of retrofitting the buses, to no avail.
This year, however, the School Board has authorized an action to seek bids to retrofit the district buses and upgrade its agreement with another company, Kent Mitchell, to add air conditioning to 34 buses that the district leases.
Members voted on Thursday evening to approve the proposal from the administration to not only seek bids on providing air conditioning for the buses but also apply for a grant through the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle grant program sponsored by the EPA so it can purchase 20 more electric air-conditioned buses.
Furthermore, the district will look to purchase an additional 63 air-conditioned buses so the entire fleet is covered.
“Providing our students and bus driving staff with safer, more comfortable transportation conditions is important to their well-being and overall morale,” Livingston Parish Public Schools Superintendent Jody Purvis said. “We are hoping to have 100% of our buses equipped with AC units by December 2025."
Purvis said the move will be costly for the district — somewhere in the ballpark of $11 million. The bid process will require proper advertising during a 30-day period.
Air-conditioning the buses will increase maintenance and fuel costs, Purvis said, as well as servicing needs. District mechanics will need more training, and the new purchases will require warranties.
“Clearly, this is a cost we wish we didn’t have to face, but extreme temperature conditions are making it a necessity,” he said.
He noted afternoon routes can be the most "troublesome" as temperatures reach above 100 degrees.
Previous calls for equipping the buses with air conditioning came amid a school bus driver crisis as the district has struggled to fill routes and retain its workforce. It is a problem district leaders have debated for years.
“Our district, much like many across our state, has suffered from a shortage of bus drivers for several years," Purvis said. "It is our hope that improving conditions will improve our ability to hire and keep good drivers."