MANCHESTER, N.H. – A set of four school buses purchased by the Manchester School District are expected to cost more each than originally thought due to tariffs put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Members of the Manchester Board of School Committee Finance and Facilities Committee learned about the change in the cost for the school buses during their Dec. 10, 2025 meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Kelly Espinola said that the buses, Chevy Microbird G5s, were coming from Canada. The buses would now cost $97,977 each, $3,000 more than the original amount for each bus. This final amount also was reduced after a negotiated resolution from the vendor and an additional request for proposals to see if the buses could be procured at a cost lower than the new tariffed amount.
It was indicated that the additional $12,000 now needed to pay for the buses would come from previously approved bond funds earmarked for bus replacement. It was also indicated that the tariffs could have been higher if they were not designed for student transportation purposes.
Board of School Committee Vice Chair Jim O’Connell was grateful for the actions of the vendors to agree to share the burden, but called the additional amount “a self-inflicted wound,” expressing additional frustration with the arbitrary nature of the tariffs’ implementation and modification.
Earlier in the meeting, Assistant Superintendent Ryan Roth reported that year-over-year costs for specialized student transportation had dropped from just over $1.7 million to just over $1.3 million as of the meeting date. He stated that these savings came from a review of student eligibility, improvement communication with vendors and tighter oversight with routes. However, Roth also added that these figures can be fluid due to unexpected student needs.
Members of the committee asked for additional information on specialized student transportation, with Routh saying he could provide that information at the committee’s next meeting.