Valparaiso Community Schools may soon be adding propane school buses to its fleet. Chief Financial Officer Jim Holifield discussed the possibility during the school board's hearing on the bus replacement plan last week.
"There's some help from the government that makes the cost the same or even a little bit less than gas or diesel buses," Holifield told board members. "The operating cost is much less, and they're just flat-out better for the environment."
It will likely take longer for Valparaiso to see electric school buses, according to Superintendent Dr. Jim McCall. "We continue to look and pursue grants," McCall explained. "Our ineligibility for those grants kind of holds us back and makes electric buses cost-prohibitive, but they're always on our radar."
The five-year plan calls for the replacement of five to seven buses a year, although Holifield noted it doesn't specify what type of buses the school corporation plans to purchase. The bus replacement plan will be up for the Valparaiso School Board's approval on September 28.
