Posted on 03/28/2006 7:31:36 PM PST by Pikamax
Starved for cash, the New Orleans school district is taking a long shot and hoping to sell its flooded, unsalvageable school buses on eBay.
Some submerged to their roofs in the black flood waters, the yellow school buses were widely photographed in the days after Hurricane Katrina and have become an icon of the city's devastated school system.
School officials acknowledge the sale of the buses on the Internet auction site may puzzle some people used to more traditional school fundraisers like bake sales.
"There's no shame in it. Not one bit," said school board president Phyllis Landrieu. "This is a new mechanism for selling things. I think it's very upbeat what we're doing."
Only 23 of 117 Orleans Parish public schools have reopened. They face a $111 million shortfall - about a quarter of the district's $430 million annual operating budget. The district also has $264 million in outstanding debt, carried over from before Hurricane Katrina.
A total of 85 schools flooded, and wind damaged many more. It took three months for the first public school to reopen. Now, the schools that are holding classes have around 9,500 students, about 15 percent of the 60,000 enrolled before the storm.
The school district plans to put one bus up for sale on eBay this week. If it succeeds, more of the 259 ruined buses will be offered.
"It's an example of how bad the situation is that we would have to come up with this idea," said Richard White, schools spokesman.
The district plans to contract out its student transportation.
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Of course I wonder how much dirt you could put on the top of one of those and not have it collapse? They are rounded? I was imagining a couple of feet of dirt.
The newer ones do. We had a tragic accident here years back and some kids drown. I'm pretty sure a law was passed. Maybe just in Texas though.
I would think you would need a frame. That would be a lot of weight Maybe a deck? I've been looking at the pre made ones which is probably the way we will go. Pricy though.
The Landrieu family tree branches probably all come back together at some point.
Yeah I've looked at the pre made ones too. and they are pricey. Plus I think Texas is the only ones making them.
Does each bus come with a chocolate bar?
Yep, and it is delivered by "brown" UPS trucks!!!
They create a new model of flooded school bus called the "Nagin."
Ha. The author of this junk should be ashamed.
You guys are priceless. Good night and sweet dreams.
That part of the movie always bothered me. Why didn't the dad had to mess with the door anyway?
I always assumed he was trying to hold it shut, so it wouldn't suck any of the kids up. I guess in hindsight he would have been better to drop to the floor and let the door go. He probably realized that about 40 feet in the air.
There is a lot of protesters around the country that could use them for a one way trip to Mexico.
They could get a lot more money for these busses if Nagin would autograph them with a sharpie.
Hahahaha.
Very appropriate:
Seller: thariusamnops ( 0 )
Member: since Feb-14-06 in United States
I wouldn't trust an Ebay seller with a 0 rating, just like I wouldn't trust New Orleans.
What is the insurance status of these vehicles?
If the insurance paid for the damaged buses, the insurance companies now own them.
In any event- it's it fraud to sell something that is that badly damaged? They have been truly contaminated by other than just "water". I think Nagin is setting himself and NOLA up for another round of stupid lawsuits.
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