Effingham County Schools Superintendent Randy Shearouse may not be driving his pickup to school board meetings and other functions much longer.

Effingham County Board of Education members voted 3-0 to approve a bid from J.C. Lewis Ford for a Ford Expedition for Shearouse’s use. Board member Troy Alford, who works at J.C. Lewis but was not involved in the bid preparation, abstained from voting. Board members chose to buy the vehicle rather than continue to reimburse Shearouse for mileage and provide a vehicle allowance.

“It comes out about to the same in the end,” Chairman Lamar Allen said of the cost of the vehicle. “And it can be used for other purposes.”

The board chose the Ford, at a cost of $29,463, over three bids from Chevrolet dealerships that ranged from $32,375 to $40,426 for a Tahoe. School board members voted in favor of the Ford bid, provided the Expedition can be provided in a timely manner. They may revisit the bids if the vehicle isn’t delivered in time.

Currently, Shearouse’s mileage reimbursement is equivalent to the state rate, 56 cents per mile. With a school system-owned vehicle, he can fuel up at the county shop — which he can’t do with his personal pickup — and the county shop purchases gas at a much cheaper rate since it buys in bulk.