WFISD school board approves purchase of eight new school buses

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - The Wichita Falls ISD Board of Trustees approved eight new school buses on Feb. 20, collectively worth more than $1,000,000.

The district has been managing their spending and said this was a necessity.

Associate Superintendent Dr. Peter Griffiths said this was a proactive move because they are preparing for the additional bus routes they will soon have.

Those additions are because of a number of changes, including the Legacy and Memorial High Schools opening in Fall 2024.

There are also three buses aging out that need to be replaced. However, the district won’t actually pay for the buses until next year when they receive them, which allows them to prepare financially.

“It will be one-million dollars that we take out of the fund balance, but it won’t be taken out until later on once we receive the buses which will be on the next budgetary year,” Dr. Griffiths said. “That allows us to make a year worth of changes and make sure we have that one-million dollars.”

Griffiths said that they will look to sell the three buses that have aged out, which will put money back into the fund balance.

They expect to receive the buses in late August or early September of 2024. Griffiths said they could run into bus route issues if they don’t receive them before the start of the 2024 school year, but they will have a better idea of that come this time next year.

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