The Cumberland County Board of Education on Tuesday approved nearly $3.7 million in transportation spending for the 2026-27 school year, covering diesel and propane fuel, vehicle parts and supplies, and two-way radio service for the district’s transportation fleet.
The $3,690,704 in purchases and contracts includes an estimated $2.17 million for diesel fuel, more than $1.25 million across four vehicle parts and repair agreements, $138,000 for propane, and $130,764 for two-way radio service.
The agreements were first considered by the Board of Education’s Auxiliary Services Committee on August 4 before receiving final approval from the full board during Tuesday’s board meeting.
What the $3.7 Million Includes
The board approved the following transportation purchases and contracts for the 2026-27 school year:
- James River Fuel for $2,165,405 to provide diesel fuel for the district’s school buses. The amount is about 2% higher than the approximately $2.12 million spent in 2025-26.
- Carolina Thomas for $575,000 to provide repair parts, supplies, and materials for more than 460 district buses, including spare and activity buses. The amount is about 2% higher than the approximately $561,962 spent in 2025-26.
- White International for $360,000 to provide repair parts, air-conditioning components, and other certified manufacturer items. The district spent approximately $300,027 with the vendor in 2025-26.
- Stone Truck Parts for $166,010 to provide brakes, service parts, windshield wipers, and other repair materials. The amount is about 2% higher than the approximately $162,751 spent in 2025-26.
- Smith International for $155,525 to provide repair parts and other certified manufacturer items. The amount is about 2% higher than the approximately $152,466 spent in 2025-26.
- Parker Gas for $138,000 to provide propane for the district’s 21 propane-powered buses. The amount is about 2% higher than the approximately $135,286 spent in 2025-26.
- School-Radio, a division of A Beep LLC, for $130,764 annually to renew two-way radio equipment and airtime service used by the Transportation Department. The agreement includes a prepaid option totaling $119,867, which would save the district $10,897.
More Than $2.1 Million for Bus Fuel
At more than $2.16 million, the James River Fuel purchase represents nearly 59% of the transportation purchases and contracts approved Tuesday.
Kristi Harden, executive director of transportation for Cumberland County Schools, told Auxiliary Services Committee members on Aug. 4 that James River Fuel is on a state contract and supplies the diesel used to fuel the district’s school buses.
“This is how we fuel the yellow buses,” Harden said.
The district approved $2,165,405 for the company during the 2026-27 school year, about 2% more than the approximately $2.12 million spent during the previous year.
The fuel request prompted Board Vice Chair Jacquelyn Brown to ask about the district’s use of alternative-fuel buses and whether it could eventually move away from diesel.
Kevin Coleman, associate superintendent for auxiliary services, said the district currently operates four electric buses and 21 propane buses.
“We have four buses that are electric, and they’re all assigned to Ponderosa,” Coleman said. “We put them there. They have very short routes that are condensed.”
Asked whether the district could eventually convert more of its fleet to electric buses, Coleman expressed hesitation based on the district’s experience with the four already in service.
“We’ve had an interesting time with our battery buses,” Coleman said. “I don’t know that we’ll be converting them.”
Coleman said the four electric buses were provided to the district at no cost, but the school district pays for maintaining the vehicles and replacing their batteries.
“I do know that battery power is cleaner,” Coleman said. “However, I’m not looking at any cost difference, and then when you replace batteries, the battery is as long as the bus.”
Board member Jackie Warner also raised concerns about the electrical infrastructure and energy costs associated with electric vehicles, referencing what she said she had learned about the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST).
“My understanding is that the cost of the electrical hookups are exceeding what was anticipated, so that even if it’s a free bus, it’s still costing a lot because of the energy use,” Warner said. “I know that I was made aware of that with the FAST bus system in Fayetteville— it’s unbelievable how much it costs to run them.”
Service Agreement for 630 Radios
The district’s renewed two-way radio agreement with School-Radio provides unlimited service for 630 radios, allowing transportation employees to communicate in groups or directly with individual radio users. The agreement also provides unlimited airtime for 11 dispatch consoles.
The agreement also includes service options for satellite GPS tracking and FirstNet access, a nationwide wireless network used by public safety agencies and first responders.
Beyond the radio system, transportation officials discussed expanding GPS and camera technology to more district vehicles used to transport students. Harden said the district plans to add 10 units to an existing GPS and camera service contract, extending coverage already used on school buses to other vehicles.
“We are adding 10 units to our contracted service,” Harden said. “Oftentimes, they’re transporting our most precious cargo, and we want to add that so that we can see the vehicle and camera footage is available.”
“We already have GPS systems on school buses, but this also extends to any other transportation, such as vans.”
