School officials discuss SB 381

Rural school districts in the area have carefully weighed the pros and cons of a bill currently traveling through the New Mexico legislature that would allow for the replacement of buses with much smaller vehicles in certain situations.

Senate Bill 381, currently awaiting a third reading on the senate floor, states that school districts may utilize district-owned sport utility vehicles in place of school buses to transport one to six students “whose residence, within the boundaries of the school district, is five or more miles from the student’s or students’ school or schools,” according to the bill’s legislation.

Grady Municipal Schools Superintendent Ted Trice said he was in support of any legislation that could save his district the cost of fuel for buses, but noted that SUVs are not as distinctive as buses are, and thus could prove to be a safety concern.

“My only thought about that is that people see a yellow school bus, they notice and pay attention to it. If you’re in a suburban that’s not painted yellow, people aren’t going to pay attention to that, so that may be a safety issue as far as people not paying attention to a vehicle full of kids,” said Trice.

Because of a high volume of young children who require car seats, Melrose Municipal Schools Superintendent Jamie Widner said the bill would not be viable for his district.

“The problem that’s gonna arise is very little kids that are on our routes are gonna have to have booster seats, and you’re gonna have to have car seats. It’s just not feasible for us. We’re gonna continue using school buses,” he said, adding that most of his bus routes have more than six riders.

“For us, we’re gonna have more than will fill a suburban on every one of our routes, and that’s where the rub is going to come for us. Even on a day when we may just have six or seven on a route, it’s still gonna be a hassle to get kids into the back seat and buckled in,” he said.

Floyd Municipal Schools Superintendent Damon Terry noted the adaptability of SUVs to many of the rural roads in his district make them a choice he could support.

“I know buses are extremely safe and all that, but I know there are some instances that come up that it would be a lot wiser and a better use of our resources to use a suburban,” he said. “My ultimate thought is, any time we can gain local control and utilize our resources in a manner that’s best for our school, I’m in favor of that.”