The North Dickinson County School District will try to sell three older buses as surplus, hoping to recoup enough money to cover required repairs on a backup bus in its fleet.

Though it needs about $10,000 in work, the 2012 bus is not as old as the other models, has more seats and generally is in better shape, so is most worthy of keeping in use, said Darrell Oman, director of support services.

So the district will try to draw $7,500 for bus 1193 — it’s considered road-ready and would be good as a backup bus for another school district or transportation company — plus $1,500 for bus 07, which Oman suggested would be great as a construction site bus, and whatever it might get for bus 09, which is in the worst condition.

The school board earlier this month also adjusted its fiscal year 2021 budget to add $88,847 in state and federal virus aid to help cover more supplies and labor needed in the school due to COVID-19.

It left the district with $369,538 in fund equity/savings, about $12,052 more than what was recorded when the fiscal year ended in June. The district had anticipated a $500 per student cut with the virus reductions.

Mike Roell, finance/athletic director, said he would be reluctant to tap into those extra funds in light of what might develop next year. “It’s really going to be a tough year, I do believe,” Roell told the board Dec. 14.

In other business, the board:

— Ratified a new 2020-21 contract with the North Dickinson Education Association that provides a $1,100 raise for each of the district’s 16 full-time teachers.

— Backed raising support staff pay by 2%, roughly the same increase as the NDEA members received, as has been the district’s practice in the past.

— Authorized advertising for a part-time custodian to fill in and assist with the additional cleaning and disinfecting needed daily in the schools to fight the spread of COVID-19. Other school staff now have been doing the daytime cleaning chores.

— Heard Oman request a new sliding door for the building that stores wood chips that fuel the school’s boiler, after the structure was damaged during a delivery. The door already has been replaced and paid for through the district’s sinking fund.