BOE to vote on purchase of buses Tuesday night

The document asked for special consideration of Blue Bird as the state’s only in-state manufacturer of school buses, which pays approximately $11,550 of payroll per bus to Georgia employees. Blue Bird additionally uses more than $9,000 of material from other Georgia companies per manufactured bus.

According to the document, which cited Georgia law regarding purchasing preferences by local governments and education contracts and purchases by public schools more than $100 and less than $100,000, Georgia payroll and material sourced with other Georgia employers by Blue Bird totals $21,076 per bus, a positive impact to the State Gross Domestic Product by $86,403 per bus when factored into the economy.

Board chairman Mark Still and board member Lynn Stevens both spoke in favor of purchasing the Blue Bird buses from Yancey, though the BOE is set to vote on the item Tuesday night.

At 6 p.m., the board is set to hold a celebration honoring Kerry Bryant, a school employee who was selected as one of five 2011 honorees for the Woodruff Salutes Georgia Arts in Education Leaders award. Superintendent Wanda Creel will recognize Bryant at the regular board meeting.

Other action items on the BOE agenda Tuesday night are:

• a recommendation to submit the Georgia College & Career Academies Project (GCCAP) Grant Application before Sept. 13, 2011 deadline.

• a recommendation that the Board conduct its Local Board Training Assessment, adopt its 2011-12 Governance Team Training Plan and complete a board self-assessment.