A pilot program that could allow Maine schools to refurbish mid-life buses in need of major structural repairs will get underway Nov. 1, when public schools can begin applying to participate.
Details about the School Bus Refurbishment Pilot Program are now available on the Maine DOE website at: http://www.maine.gov/education/const/trans/refurbish.html.
The pilot program — created through an executive order from Maine Gov. Paul LePage — is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Military Authority, a state entity that specializes in refurbishing mid-life military vehicles and school buses.
The refurbishment program’s goal is to supplement regular school bus maintenance by overhauling mid-life vehicles to extend their safe and useful life.
As the pilot program begins, the Maine DOE and the Maine Military Authority are seeking input from the state’s public schools through an online, eight-question survey. The five-minute survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SchoolBusRefurbishmentPilot_PreProgramSchoolSurvey.
As the program evolves, the Maine DOE and Maine Military Authority will use schools’ feedback to refine it.
The program application will be posted on the page listed above on Nov. 1.
Resources and more information
- Pat Hinckley, School Facilities/Transportation Consultant
Maine Department of Education
207-624-6886
Pat.Hinckley@maine.gov - Tim McCabe, Business Development
Maine Military Authority
207-430-5693
timothy.p.mccabe@us.army.mil - Gov. LePage’s Executive Order
- Governor’s order creates bus refurbishment program
- Humvee restoration specialists turn focus to school buses
- Program overview from Maine Military Authority (opens PDF)