STRUTHERS, Ohio - The Struthers City School District is celebrating the opening of a brand-new 11,000 square foot transportation facility on Friday.

The new facility is located at 300 1/2 Creed Street and will act as the home to 12 new buses and a district van. It will also act as the transportation supervisor's office and a conference room.

The facility was funded via a combination of grant funds, a lease purchase agreement and local funds.

This new facility is an upgrade from the district's former uncovered surface lot and will include eight overhead garage doors. The garage space will help extend the life of buses by providing indoor shelter against the elements of weather, which in turn will require less maintenance work for the vehicles.

"This addition not only enhances the efficiency of our vehicles, but will also help with out day-to-day operations by having office spaces for our transportation team," said Struthers City Schools Superintendent, Pete Pirone. 

Pirone went on to say Struthers is currently fully staffed with bus drivers, but is always looking for substitutes. Pirone says he hopes the new garage could act as a recruiting tool to bring in new drivers in the future.

The conference room will be utilized for professional development workshops.

The district is planning an open house for the community in the spring.