School board buys 10 new cars for student drivers

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Student drivers from Marietta and Cobb public school districts will be able to drive new cars during driver training.

The Marietta Board of Education decided Nov. 13 to buy 10 new 2018 Honda Civic LX fourdoor sedans for their driver training fleet from Ed Voyles Honda for the Marietta/Cobb Driver’s Education Program.

Last November, the Marietta school board and the Cobb County School District (CCSD) also bought 10 new cars from Ed Voyles Honda for $180,900 but $186,330 this year, according to the agreement between the CCSD and Marietta City Schools (MCS).

The Department of Driver Services requires Driver’s Education vehicles to be replaced when they reach 10 years of age.

This year, the following bids were received for this purchase:

■ Subaru of Kennesaw: $187,690 (10 2019 Subaru Imprezas with no oil changes or vehicle wraps)

■ Ed Voyles Honda: $186,330 (10 2018 Honda Civic LXs, including oil changes and vehicle wraps)

■ Marietta Toyota: $182,000 (10 2019 Toyota Corolla LEs with no oil changes or vehicle wraps)

While the bid from Ed Voyles was not the lowest, the addition of 10 years of free oil changes and free vehicle wraps (at $450 each) made it the best value, according to MCS Superintendent Grant Rivera.

The Honda Civic also received higher safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, had better gas mileage, had better driver visibility and came with a strong warranty package, he added.

Funding will come from E-SPLOST IV.