Weston schools approve bus lease in 3-2 split vote
School Committee · Meeting of September 4, 2026
Weston School Committee splits 3-2 to lease five buses despite steep financing costs. Chair Daina Selvig, Vice Chair Tiao Xie and member Jane Li carried the vote Friday; members Kenneth Newberg and Stephen Dietz dissented. The five-year lease with National Cooperative Leasing covers five 71-passenger buses at roughly $755,000 over five years, versus about $700,000 to buy them outright, after administrators said three buses failed in the district's first three days of school, leaving the 29-bus fleet with a single spare instead of the usual five.
Finance Committee Chair Maija Cirulis-Gooch warned the deal amounts to nearly 20 percent effective annual interest, calling it "a bad financial deal for Weston." Dietz said he needed assurance the district could exit the lease "without penalty." The committee also ordered a full fleet financing review for the fiscal 2028 budget.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,055 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of September 4, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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