[SchoolFinance] school van

[Sherry Moody]

Hi Lisa,

Here are my answers. We have two min-vans and a multi-functional 14
passenger "bus."

Van and liability insurance - *Our insurance provider had no issue adding
any of these vehicles to our school's policy*
Maintenance - Other than typical vehicle maintenance, was there anything
additional or special details that you needed to have done to the van? *Nothing
that I am aware of... just routine vehicle maintenance.*
RFP or not - Did you do a RFP or was the amount below the threshold? *We
did not do an RFP but we did solicit quotes from area dealerships - we
ended up with used vans in very good condition*
Approval from School Board - Did you need to get approval first? *Yes*
Staff training; license/background checks - What do you require of your
drivers? *We do routine background checks and keep a copy of their driver's
license on file*

Does anyone know if it is better to own or lease?  *We own all our vehicles*

If there is anything else that I need to know, please tell me :)  *Our vans
are a lifesaver since we have had an issue finding bus drivers*
----
Sherry Moody, Business Mgr
Mid-Coast School of Technology
1 Main Street
Rockland, ME 04841
(207) 594-2161
www.mcst8.org


On Tue, Feb 3, 2026 at 1:41 PM Lisa Swift <lswift at veaziecs.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>   I am reaching out to those schools that have school vans. We are looking
> to possibly purchase or lease a van to transport to Stillwater Academy,
> KidsPeace and Bangor Regional Program.  I am wondering if someone has a
> list of everything that needs to be done in order to own a van, such as:
> Van and liability insurance - Were you able to add these with your current
> policy holders? Is there any information about this that you think I should
> know?
> Maintenance - Other than typical vehicle maintenance, was there anything
> additional or special details that you needed to have done to the van?
> RFP or not - Did you do a RFP or was the amount below the threshold?
> Approval from School Board - Did you need to get approval first?
> Staff training; license/background checks - What do you require of your
> drivers?
>
> Does anyone know if it is better to own or lease?  Where we are right in
> the middle of all these out of district schools we are looking at only 35
> miles a day at the most.
>
> If there is anything else that I need to know, please tell me :)
>
> Thank you in advance for your help!
> Lisa Swift
> Business, Payroll and Human Resource Manager
> Veazie School Department
> 1040 School Street
> Veazie, ME 04401
> P: (207)947-6573 ext. 309     F: (207)947-6570
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