Due to the dilapidated nature of the current transportation trailer, the Mehlville Board of Education approved the purchase of a new transportation trailer for the district at its April 10 meeting. 

“The current transportation trailer has been used since the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. It currently houses seven full-time employees and has been also utilized daily by every bus driver and monitor. The current trailer has served its purpose for over 35 years, but is beginning to show its age. The roof needs replacing. It’s only accessible by stairs. There’s a lack of bathrooms and water,” Dan Gilman, the district’s Director of Transportation, said. 

The trailer is expected to cost $364,295, with related expenses for plumbing, electric and IT connectivity sitting at approximately $150,000. The total cost of the project will be approximately $515,000.

The transportation facility was defined in the original Proposition S facility planning, though unfortunately when prices escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was one of the projects that the board had to strike.

“Back in ‘22, when we had to strike, we were all sick about it. We didn’t want to have to do it, obviously,” Mehlville Board of Education president Peggy Hassler said. “We can’t expect our employees to work in those conditions. It’s quite literally deplorable.”

The project is expected to be completed this July.