The Edgecomb School Committee (ESC) is hoping the wheels of a 12-year-old bus will go round and round for a few more miles. The committee has decided to repair a totaled school bus, instead of replacing it.

The committee met with the Edgecomb selectmen Nov. 9 informing them the repair costs exceed the bus’s value. Despite the bus being totaled, the ESC has decided to use the insurance money to repair the bus. The committee requested the selectmen sign the bus’s title so it could be reissued as a salvage vehicle.

School Committee Chairman Sarah Clifford explained the bus was still in good condition despite an oil leak and damaged door.

“The bus was working good for us despite its age. We think repairing it will put off purchasing a new one for a few more years,” Clifford said.

The school wants to avoid purchasing a new bus because of the cost. Two other Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 schools in Boothbay Harbor and Southport recently spent over $80,000 for new buses.

“At some point we are going to need a new bus. We reviewed our options and decided to put off buying a new bus for a few more years,” she said. “We want to plan with the town when the time is right to purchase a new bus.”

Before the bus returns to the road, it must pass inspection to be eligible for insurance, according to school officials.

The insurance company offered $9,102 to replace the bus, but the school committee opted for the $6,102 insurance claim to repair it. School officials aren’t sure if the bus is repairable. A mechanic is determining whether the oil leak is fixable.

In other action, the selectmen received Website Committee member Jarryl Larson’s resignation from the three-person committee. She expressed frustration with the six-month-old committee’s inability to meet.

“This was the first time I’ve served on committee that couldn’t meet for one reason or another. So I’m resigning from your (selectmen’s) committee,” she said.

Larson will continue advising the planning board on its effort to produce a web page. She and David Nutt have worked for over a year on a web page design for the planning board. Larson and her husband own the domain name “www.edgecombmaine.org” which the planning board plans on using.

Nutt also served on the Website Committee with Larson. He reported the committee’s progress. Nutt implored the selectmen to hold a special town meeting in either December or January to secure approximately $2,800 to get the new website up and running. He believed a winter town meeting would give the committee time to prepare the website for a spring launch.

“I’d like to see this happen ASAP (as soon as possible),” Nutt said. “This is not a controversial issue. Everybody knows we need a municipal website, and to do this, a special town meeting is required.”

The selectmen prefer waiting until the May town meeting. Selectmen believe a special town meeting will draw a low turnout. Selectman Mike Smith wondered why advocates for a special town meeting, mainly the planning board, didn’t advocate for website funding last year.

“It is an idea that has no money,” Smith said. “If (the) planning board was so adamant about the need, they should’ve brought up to the budget committee last year. Holding a special town meeting shows we didn’t have our act together.”

The selectmen and Nutt did agree on one point. They both agreed a public forum should be held to both inform residents and gauge their support.

The selectmen also heard from two residents interested serving on the Website Committee. Residents Janet Blevins and Don Kroitzsh volunteered. The selectmen will consider their appointments at a future meeting.

The selectmen will meet next at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23 in the municipal building.