The Edgecomb School Committee may hold an emergency meeting later this month if its damaged school bus is no longer serviceable. The 12-year-old bus is off the road after encountering an oil leak and damage to its doors.

The committee is hoping to repair the bus and avoid purchasing a new one for a few more years. If mechanics determine the oil leak is not repairable, the committee is preparing itself for finding an alternative mode of transportation. The damaged bus is one of two in the Edgecomb School Committee transportation fleet.

The committee is leasing a spare Southport school bus while its incapacitated one is sidelined. The committee is paying $1.25 per mile, according to Alternative Organizational Structure 98 Superintendent of Schools Eileen King.

Both Edgecomb and Southport are members of AOS 98. Southport selectmen delayed selling the spare bus when the Edgecomb School Committee requested leasing it. The school committee won’t know the damaged bus’s status until mechanics examine the vehicle’s underbelly.

The bus was further damaged as it was being towed. The bus doors struck a lamp post. A damage assessment resulted in the bus being totaled. The committee hopes the repaired bus passes inspection and is reissued as a salvaged vehicle.

The school committee has tentatively scheduled a Monday, Nov. 30 special meeting to consider transportation options if the bus isn’t repairable.

“We are just waiting to hear back from the mechanic,” said Edgecomb Eddy School Principal Lisa Clarke. “The extent of the damage needs to be determined before we know what we are going to do.”

The committee also considered future options if the bus is salvageable. The committee members discussed the possibility of using the bus in the future as a backup. King also indicated AOS 98 officials have discussed keeping a spare bus for emergencies.

“The AOS has discussed keeping a spare bus on the peninsula,” said King. “If the Edgecomb bus passes inspection, when it comes time to buy a new bus, we may want to keep the old one here as a spare, or rent it out.”

School Committee Chairman Sarah Clifford also expressed gratitude for the town of Southport’s willingness to delay selling its spare bus.

“It’s really a huge benefit belonging to a district. I don’t know what we’d do if the spare bus wasn’t available. I’m glad the Southport selectmen were willing to delay selling their spare bus. It has really been a big help to us,” she said.

If the damaged bus isn’t operational, one option is leasing a bus. King estimated leasing a bus outside the AOS would cost at least 25 cents more per mile. School officials also are concerned about finding an available bus to lease.

“At the time, we looked at leasing a bus from Bath Transportation. It would’ve been more expensive, but the problem was, they didn’t have one available,” Clarke said.

In other business, Clarke reported the Maine School of Science Volunteers will attend the next meeting of the school’s Science Club. The MSSV is a Topsham-based group of retired scientists, teachers, engineers and doctors traveling to Midcoast schools encouraging junior high school-age students to pursue careers in science and technology.

On Nov. 16, the group will conduct a workshop from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. during Edgecomb Eddy School’s monthly science club meeting. Clarke invited the MSSV to Edgecomb after viewing its workshop at Mount Ararat Middle School.

“They are retirees who want to spark student interest in science. They did a 90-minute workshop on adhesives and it was wonderful,” Clarke said. “It was very informative and a hands-on experience for the students.”

The Edgecomb School Committee doesn’t plan on holding a December meeting.