At their most recent meeting, the Highland School Board was given a presentation about propane-powered school buses, which is something they are considering for the coming school year. Superintendent Chris Armstrong explained, currently all the school’s buses are diesel, but as they look to purchase a new bus, they are giving serious consideration to a propane bus. A propane bus would cost between $6,000-$10,000 more than a diesel bus, but Armstrong says there are many benefits. He says, “They actually have a 93 gallon tank that they put on the buses, and that has about a 400 mile range. There’s some maintenance advantages, (such as) you don’t need a heating block on them because they start in cold weather.”

Additionally, the propane buses have cleaner emissions than diesel, and the cost per mile is in their favor as well. Armstrong added, the engines on propane buses are similar to a car’s engine, so they’re easier to maintain. For example, a propane bus’s engine takes five quarts of oil for an oil change, compared to 18 quarts for a diesel engine. The Keota and Mid-Prairie school districts have propane buses, so Armstrong believes the board will likely reach out to them regarding their experiences. The school board will make a decision sometime in February or March so they can have the bus for the start of the next school year.