09/03/2026
CCC GIFTS CHARTER BUS TO CANEY VALLEY SCHOOLS
CANEY — Caney Valley USD 436 is expressing its sincere appreciation to Coffeyville Community College for a generous gift that will provide the district with significantly expanded transportation capacity for student activities and travel.
As Coffeyville Community College continues to upgrade its transportation fleet, the college recently identified a charter bus that was no longer needed for its operations. Rather than selling the vehicle, the College chose to make a lasting investment in the communities it serves by gifting the bus to Caney Valley Schools.
Caney Valley is uniquely positioned to put the bus to use. As the only school district within Coffeyville Community College's taxing district that operates its own transportation department rather than contracting transportation services to a third party, Caney has both the infrastructure and personnel needed to operate and maintain a vehicle of this size. The district's experienced transportation staff and mechanic have the expertise necessary to properly care for the bus and keep it in service for students for years to come.
"We are incredibly grateful to the Coffeyville Community College Board of Trustees and Leadership for thinking creatively about how to put this resource to work for another public institution," Superintendent Blake Vargas said. "Caney was already facing the need to upgrade one of our activity buses, but a vehicle of this size and capability is something we simply would not have considered adding to our fleet through a traditional purchase. The college's decision has given our students an opportunity that would not otherwise have been on the table."
Caney Valley USD 436 is one of the school districts located within the Coffeyville Community College taxing district, making the gift especially meaningful to the Caney community. Local taxpayers have already contributed to the resources of the college through their support of CCC.
By transferring the bus to Caney Valley Schools rather than selling it, CCC has found a way for that investment to continue benefiting local students without requiring Caney taxpayers to purchase the resource a second time.
"This was a smart and creative decision by the college," said Vargas. "The district had a need to replace an aging activity bus, but we were not looking at purchasing a bus of this level. The college's decision allows a resource that has already been supported by taxpayers to continue serving students in our area, while giving Caney Valley something we otherwise would not have been able to justify purchasing."
The gift also represents a natural extension of the longstanding partnership between Coffeyville Community College and Caney Valley Schools.
The two institutions have worked together for years through Caney Valley's Career and Technical Education programs, providing students with opportunities to explore career pathways, gain hands-on experience and access educational opportunities beyond the traditional high school classroom.
The timing of the gift is particularly beneficial for Caney Valley Schools. The district's current activity bus was nearing the point where it needed to be replaced, creating a need to evaluate options for updating the district's fleet. The donated charter bus provides an opportunity to significantly enhance that part of the fleet without requiring the district to take on the cost of purchasing a vehicle of this size.
"Ultimately, this is about putting resources to work for students," Vargas said. "We are grateful to Coffeyville Community College for recognizing that this bus could continue to serve a purpose in our community. We appreciate the Board's willingness to think creatively, our longstanding partnership with the college, and the opportunity to provide our students with transportation capacity that simply would not have been feasible for our district to pursue on its own."
Caney Valley Schools extends its sincere thanks to the Coffeyville Community College Board of Trustees, administration and staff for this generous gift and for their continued commitment to the students and communities they serve.
