One of the two Suburbans on the outdoor basketball courts.
Two Suburbans have replaced two passenger vans in the school’s fleet of four vehicles, used to transport students to games and other events.
According to director of the physical plant Jay Holman, the passenger vans that were replaced were the 2007 and 2011 Ford E350’s. Although the vans transported more people, they lacked space for cargo storage. Suburbans, on the other hand, offer more cargo space in exchange for a smaller capacity for passengers, he said.
The passenger van holds 10 people, including the driver. The Suburban, with a larger cargo space, holds eight.
The passenger vans, which cost $30,000 each, were part of the trade-in for the replacement by the slightly used Suburbans, which cost $35,000 each.
“(The Suburbans) are definitely more comfortable to drive,” head of high school Brooke Wells said.
High school Spanish teacher Patricia Portillo, who drove one of the Suburbans to the Mock Trial state competition in Santa Ana, agreed.
“The Suburbans (are) more intimate feeling,” she said. “The vans were harder to drive and uncomfortable.”
According to Holman, the school will eventually replace another passenger van with a Suburban. However, he said the school will retain one van to transport large groups.
—By Ming Zhu
