[SchoolFinance] school van

[Krol, Gabrielle]

I agree with everything that Sherry said.  We have MANY vans and have hired
van drivers due to district need!  The only difference is that we typically
budget for them annually- but that still goes to the board for approval.



On Tue, Feb 3, 2026 at 2:07 PM Sherry Moody <smoody at mcst8.org> wrote:

> 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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>
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