LPSOD adds new buses with seatbelts

SANDPOINT — The Lake Pend Oreille School District accepted a bid for three new school buses with three-point seatbelts at its Aug. 10 board of trustees meeting.

“Having seat belts in our buses is just the next step in improving safety for our students,” said Trustee Gary Suppiger.

The LPOSD had three competing bids for three school buses and school buses with seat belts. The bid from Harlow’s Bus Sales w for three buses including seatbelts was chosen for $116,221.07 per bus.

The price per bus would have only been $111,053.90 without the seatbelts. Suppiger made a motion to accept the bid from Harlow’s Bus Sales with the added three-point seatbelts.

Trustee Lonnie Williams seconded.

Suppiger said he was relieved to have such competitive bids this year for buses with seat belts.

The district goes to great lengths every day with its resources officers and drills to make our buildings as safe as possible, said Suppiger. Its buses should be no different.

“If our mission is education, then our prerequisite to education is safety. We [the board of trustees] went to great lengths during the pandemic for safety for our students,” said Suppiger.

The motion passed unanimously