By MATT LINDSEY

NORWOOD -- Norwood-Norfolk Central will look to purchase two large buses, a small bus and possibly a van this year as part of their bus purchasing plan.

The school generally tries to replace buses on a seven-year rotation, Norwood-Norfolk Central School Superintendent Jamie Cruickshank said.

Maintenance, a better trade-in value and emission standards are the main reasons NNCS looks to update its transportation every seven years.

“We get more value by trading earlier than waiting for nine or ten years – we’ve been on this schedule for awhile,” he said.

The van, if purchased, would be used to bus students homeless students, small sports teams or activities and field trips.

“There are a lot of single student runs where even sending a small bus would not be as cost-effective,” Cruickshank said. “We would expect there to be savings on gas and wear and tear.”

Cruickshank says that when a student lives outside of the district but is still attending a school, it is up the district to provide transportation to their home.

“We often work out deals with other schools if we can to make it more economic,” he said.

More savings could be realized during sports and field trips.

If a coach or teacher is willing to drive the van it would eliminate the need to send a bus driver. This would save the school from paying the wages to a bus driver as well as a hotel room for overnight stays.

Bus purchasing plans are separate from school budgets, Cruickshank says.

The school would be reimbursed 90 percent from transportation purchases.

“For example, if the van costs $25,000, it would be a $2,500 cost to the district,” he said. “We can often pay for it over five years which is about $500 a year.”