After years of waiting due to backlogs, the Indian Lake School District has received all the new buses it ordered since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district is excited to announce that these buses will finally begin hitting the road this week.
Bus #15, driven by Lynne Snipes, completed its maiden voyage on Monday afternoon, marking the first of the new buses to begin service.
Bus #25 is expected to hit the road later this week, following final inspections and detailing.
Earlier this year, two other new buses, #4 and #23, were already put into rotation.
Pat Smith, the district’s Transportation Director, explained that the delays were largely due to manufacturing backlogs caused by parts shortages during the pandemic.
“Since Covid, the manufacturers have had really, really long backlogs because of part availability,” Smith said. “But now, International is getting buses pushed out in good time, so we had four of them land in just four months.”
The district placed an order for a lift-equipped, handicap-accessible bus in November 2022, which arrived in late 2024.
Another 78-passenger bus was ordered in 2023 and received in January 2025. Finally, two more buses were ordered in November 2024, arriving just days ago.
Smith noted that the new buses will significantly improve the district’s fleet in terms of both efficiency and safety.
“Every new model year, they do more with fuel economy, miles per gallon, so it reduces operating costs,” he said. “They also all have lane departure, electronic stability control, better camera systems, better visibility for the driver, and reinforced steel for sturdiness.”
The oldest bus currently in service is a 2016 model.
As part of the district’s fleet update, Tonya Neer will receive Bus #25, while her older bus, along with Lynne Snipes’ former bus, will be reassigned to the drivers with the two oldest buses still in use.
The district plans to auction off four older buses online in the coming weeks.
Indian Lake Schools aims to replace one or two buses each year to keep up with the heavy mileage the buses travel daily, ensuring that the fleet remains reliable and safe for students.
