R-I purchases van, OKs other bids

By Geoffrey Woehlk | July 21, 2023 |

FORUM FILE PHOTO
West Nodaway School Building (copy)

BURLINGTON JCT., Mo. — During its July 12 regular meeting, the West Nodaway R-I Board of Education approved the purchase of a van to transport students to vo-tech classes.

The board approved a contract with Master’s Transportation of Belton, Missouri, to purchase a 10-passenger van for $72,540. Superintendent Mitch Barnes said that more local dealers would have taken eight months to deliver the van, which would have been too late for the upcoming school year when the district needs the van.

The district will use the van to transport students to Northwest Technical School in Maryville. Previously, the district had an arrangement with the Tarkio R-I School District in which students from West Nodaway and Rock Port R-II would be picked up on a bus from Tarkio on its way to the technical school.

Last month, however, Barnes said that in response to rising transportation costs, Tarkio will require the other school districts to pay a third of the total cost instead of a per-passenger charge. Each district would kick in around $22,000 under that arrangement, which would more than triple the cost for West Nodaway.

Instead, Barnes suggested that the district purchase a van that would be driven by a West Nodaway employee and would pay for itself after only a few years of use compared to the new price from the rideshare with Tarkio.

Other West Nodaway notes

The board did not receive any bids for bakery services and will continue to order from Falls City Mercantile in Falls City, Nebraska.
The board voted to raise meal prices by 10 cents but milk prices will remain the same.

The board approved the following bids: