OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County School Board on Monday unanimously approved the purchase of 22 new school buses at a total cost of $3,915,796 to modernize the district’s transportation fleet.

The board voted 5-0 on two separate agenda items that use the Florida Department of Education Bid ITB2026-07 at its meeting on Monday, October 12, 2026. Both purchases are funded through the Capital Projects Fund and include GPS tracking and bus cameras pre-installed, with wheelchair lifts on selected buses.

Six buses for $1.06 million

The first item authorizes the purchase of six new 77-passenger buses from Sun State International Truck, LLC for $1,059,628. The order includes four standard buses at $174,667 each and two buses equipped with lifts at $180,480 each.

Superintendent Danielle Brewer told the board the purchase “represents an important investment in the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our transportation fleet. By replacing aging buses with six new buses equipped with GPS, camera systems, and accessibility features where needed, we are continuing our commitment to providing safe and dependable transportation for our students each day.”

Sixteen additional buses for $2.86 million

The second item approves 16 new buses from Matthews Bus Alliance, Inc. for $2,856,168. That order consists of nine 77-passenger buses at $179,091 each, six 77-passenger buses with lifts at $185,677 each, and one 14-capacity Collins Type A bus with a lift at $130,287.

Combined with the earlier purchase, the two items reflect what Brewer described as the board’s ongoing commitment of approximately $4 million annually toward fleet replacement and modernization.

“The addition of these 16 buses, as I stated before, equipped with GPS, camera, and accessibility features, will help ensure our students are transported safely to and from school each day,” Brewer said. “This sustained investment allows us to improve the safety and reliability of our transportation services while our students travel in well-maintained, up-to-date buses.”

Board Member Nancy Thrower asked for clarification on the agenda language referring to “accessories.” Brewer confirmed the term covers the wheelchair lifts, which she noted are “very expensive.”

On-time performance improves

Chair Dr. Sarah James, who is up for re-election this November, used the discussion to highlight gains in bus punctuality. She said on-time arrival to school rose from 91.8 percent last year to 93.5 percent this year, while afternoon on-time arrival improved from 68.7 to 74.3 percent.

“That’s to school and our on-time arrival in the afternoon, which is always a big hurdle for us,” James said. “When I got on the board four years ago… We weren’t even in the ballpark of those numbers. And so, new routing software, putting the right brains in the right places, innovative thoughts, buying some vans… It’s an accumulation of so many different variables that have created a place where almost 94 percent of our buses are on time every single day, district-wide.”

Both motions passed without opposition.