The Washington School Board recently awarded a bid for two new buses with financial assistance from the Volkswagen State Environmental Mitigation Trust program.

Transportation Director Woody Harden shared that they received one bid for the district to purchase two buses as part of the second cycle of the VW grant program. School Bus Sales of Waterloo submitted a bid of $271,930 which Harden recommended the board approve. He expects the buses to be received by December of 2022, and he pointed out that he is still waiting to receive two buses they purchased from the first grant cycle that were expected last October. Harden also noted that bus prices have increased from about $117,000 to around $130,000 since the grant cycles began, and he will also be presenting to the board in March about the third and final grant cycle. These grants are administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation as a result of two related Volkswagen settlements for projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.