The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications for new school buses through the annual School Bus Purchase Program. The application process opens Nov. 1 and closes Nov. 25.
The Department will allocate $8.05 million to FY18 school bus approvals. The purpose of the program is to achieve the most equitable distribution of limited dollars to maintain a modern safe fleet of school buses and respond to unique and emergency bus needs.
Districts may submit applications for “bus replacement” of an existing bus that is at the end of life, an “addition to fleet” to add a new bus to the district fleet without retiring a bus, or both types of applications. The program details and priorities are located on the Maine DOE School Transportation School Bus Purchase Program website here.
Program applications are submitted in the NEO Transportation data system. Instructions are located on the Maine DOE Reporting Calendar under School Bus Purchase Program Application (EFT-17). Superintendents, transportation directors or business managers may submit district bus requests.
For program or policy information contact Maine DOE’s Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov or 624-6886.