MPISD to reduce diesel fuel emissions on buses
By JENNIFER LAPRADE - Tribune Features Editor
Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:30 AM CST
| |
| Myers (left) and Kennington (right) stand in front of an MPISD bus. Thirty-six MPISD buses will be retrofitted with a device to reduce diesel fuel emissions thanks to a grant from TCEQ. TRIBUNE photo by Jennifer LaPrade |
Mount Pleasant Independent School District children may soon breathe a little easier as the district announced plans to reduce emissions of diesel exhaust from its most heavily used school buses at Monday night's board meeting.
MPISD received a grant totaling $248,109 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)'s Clean School Bus Program to do this work.
"The grant will allow us to administer a clean school bus program to improve the health of school children and bus drivers," Ois Kennington, MPISD Transportation Director, said.
TCEQ's Clean School Bus Program has a total of about $8 million available on a first-come, first-served basis for districts who want to participate in the program.
"A relatively small investment in a retrofit can reduce emissions by 70-80 percent," TCEQ Commissioner Larry R. Soward said. "By installing these devices, we help protect the health of Texas school children."
Kennington said MPISD will retrofit 36 buses with a diesel multi-stage filter muffler and spiracle crankcase filtration system.
"This retrofit program will reduce particulate matter emissions by up to 90 percent," he said. "Exposure to diesel exhaust can aggravate asthma, allergies and respiratory problems. This grant from TCEQ will allow our school district to help our children breathe cleaner air."
MPISD Superintendent Terry Myers praised the state for supplying the funds to make this possible for the district's students.
Personnel
The board accepted the resignation of Kristy Smart, MPHS dance teacher and Tiger Doll Director. They also approved Debra Daughtery as a substitute teacher.
Above and Beyond awards were presented to Debra Williamson, from Fowler Elementary; Windey Hunnicutt, Ashley Pettit and Brenda Harkrider, from Sims Elementary; Debbie Barron, from Central Administration; Jane Carter, from Wallace Middle School; Mary Ellen Carey and Roy Phox, from Mount Pleasant Junior High; Gay Miller from Mount Pleasant High School; Teresa Young and Yvonne Craddock, from Fowler's 21st Century program; and William Blackburn, from Titus County Shared Services.
In other business, the MPISD board of trustees:
• Received the 2007-08 yearbook from the MPHS yearbook staff;
• Heard a presentation from Wallace Middle School;
• Approved student overnight trips for MPHS Cross Country, MPHS FFA, MPHS Girls Basketball and MPHS Boys Soccer;
• Approved the financial report for October 2008;
• Approved hardware purchase for CDC and Wallace; and
• Tabled the issue of purchasing a new 47 passenger bus.
