​On Feb. 18, the Rockwood School District Board of Education approved a plan to switch from contracting buses from First Student to a district-owned transportation system.

After looking into the funds and predicting that the lease contract for the district-wide transportation would cut into the planned budget, Superintendent Dr. Eric Knost decided the best solution to the problem would be to get bids from various companies and find the cheapest route towards Rockwood owning their own buses.

According to Bill Sloan, Director of Transportation, an estimate was made for approximately 175 buses. The fleet of buses would be on a 10 year lease-to-own for the district.

After, Knost clarified that the costs associated with purchasing the buses are included in Rockwood’s operating cost analysis.

Not only does this give the district new forms of transportation, the new buses open the opportunity for new jobs, including a new Director of Transportation. Sloan, the current Director of Transportation, has said that he plans to hold interviews and have a recommendation for the position ready as soon as March 3.

Knost’s believes that district owned buses will lead to safer, more efficient transportation of students across the school district.