ROGERS — Students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School may get more field trips now that the school has transportation.
The private school has been raising money to purchase a bus for about two years, said Melissa Lewis, assistant principal. Part of their goal was to raise enough money for insurance, fuel, maintenance and drivers.
Before getting the bus, teachers coordinated field trip transportation through a network of parents and the group of cars would caravan.
“Teachers will want to take more field trips. It will make it much easier for them,” Lewis said.
Sporting activities also spurred the need for transportation.
Two years ago the school started basketball, cross country and track for seventh- and eighth-grade students. Volleyball will be added next year, Lewis said.
Arranging private transportation for an entire team is tough, said Steve Perry, a parent.
Students need reliable transportation. The school sold its last bus three years ago, but before that, the bus was not operational for more than a year, Perry said.
“We think this is going to fill a tremendous need,” Perry said.
Tuition at the private school just covers teachers’ salaries, Lewis said. That helps keep the school more affordable.
“Fundraising pays for everything else,” she said.
When the Rogers School District replaced several school buses and sold the surplus, St. Vincent de Paul found one for the school’s needs. The bus arrived Monday and students caught their first glimpse of their new ride during a fire drill. Their first question was if they could climb aboard, Lewis said.
The first planned bus trip is a December excursion for fourth-grade students who will sing at a nursing home.