Well, looks like the rest of the school buses will be purchased soon, completing this segment of MAPS for Kids. It's sure been nice seeing those new buses running around town, instead of the old dilapidated buses the district was running.

And mranderson, looks like US Grant is going to become the largest high school in the district, so finally the southside isn't being left out!

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"City district to consider new buses, high school


By Michael Bratcher
The Oklahoman

Almost every Oklahoma City Public School bus on the road by the end of the school year will be less than 2 years old.
The Oklahoma City School Board tonight is expected to give its approval to obtain bids for 80 new buses. The Oklahoma City MAPS Trust also has to give its approval.

Board members also are expected to award a construction contract for a new high school.

Terry Wolfe, the district's senior facilities officer, said $4.4 million is available for the next round of bus purchases. About $4.6 million was spent on 80 buses in summer 2003 -- bringing the total number of new buses to 160.

Once all of the buses are in operation, Wolfe said the average age of district buses will drop to about four years. The average age two years ago was about 17.

The last major bus purchase was in 1982, district officials said. The district expects to save more than $200,000 a year in maintenance by updating its bus fleet.

Ralph Konefes, district transportation director, said the school system will likely keep up to 20 of the older buses to have on standby. The others will be sold. About a half dozen will be mixed in with the new buses used for daily routes.

Konefes said the new buses will be more efficient. The fleet will use a variety of fuels, with some operating on diesel and others on natural gas or unleaded gasoline.

Bids will be opened next month, and Wolfe expects the project to be awarded by late October. The new buses will be delivered in phases.

Wolfe said the first set of buses could be in operation by the end of this semester or early 2005. The entire delivery is expected by the end of the school year.

Board Chairman Cliff Hudson said the buses are one step in "the path to Oklahoma City Public Schools becoming a model urban school district."

Voters approved the MAPS for Kids plan in 2001, setting aside $9 million for the buses.

Board members are expected to award a nearly $25 million construction contract to Oscar J. Boldt Construction for the new U.S. Grant High School.

The new school is a MAPS for Kids project. The building, in excess of 220,000 square feet, will serve about 1,450 students -- making it the largest school in the district, said MAPS Program Manager Eric Wenger. "