ALPENA — The Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District Board of Education on Thursday voted to buy three new vehicles for Pied Piper School.

The new vehicles, a 2018 or 2019 Ford Escape and two 2018 or 2019 Dodge Caravans, will be purchased from MiDeal. The purchases are not to exceed $23,500 per vehicle.

MiDeal is a cooperative purchasing program that allows government units to buy through the state’s contracts.

ESD Superintendent Scott Reynolds said MiDeal offers vehicles at government-approved rates with significant discounts.

“We’re able to bypass the bidding process, and preliminary research by our business office revealed that the prices are significantly lower and will not be matched by competitors,” Reynolds said. “While we would prefer to do business locally, we’re also responsible to the community to use the dollars wisely and this gives us the best economy for that purchase.”

The AMA ESD sold two 2007 Dodge Caravans during the summer and will sell a 2010 Ford Escape with over 112,000 miles on it once the new vehicles are secured. Reynolds said the vehicles were old, costly, and unreliable and the money from the sold vehicles will go into the AMA ESD’s general fund.

The new vehicles will take approximately six to 10 weeks to be delivered. Though the vehicles were not purchased locally, the vehicles will be serviced at a local dealership.

Reynolds said Assistant Superintendent Tony Suszek is looking into the possibility of the AMA ESD renting a vehicle to help with operations at Pied Piper School before the new vehicles arrive.

Pied Piper uses the vehicles on a daily basis for field trips, transition job coaching, staff conferences, home visits, and maintenance uses.

The board approved the new purchases 4-2, with Vice-President Norm Sommerfeld and Treasurer Donna Baranyai voting against. Sommerfeld said he would rather see the district purchase locally.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com or 989-358-5688.