At their most recent meeting, the Highland School Board discussed the type of bus they plan on purchasing for the upcoming school year. After some consideration, they decided to continue with diesel buses as opposed to propane buses. Superintendent Chris Armstrong said the district tries to purchase at least one new bus every year. They didn’t purchase one in the previous year, so Armstrong strongly recommended they not skip two years in a row.

The board had been looking into the possibility of purchasing a propane bus. Propane buses are used at Mid-Prairie, Washington, and Keota schools, and are reportedly cleaner and easier to maintain. They also start easier in cold weather. However, they cost around $10,000 more initially, and require special refueling stations to be constructed. The board decided, for the time being, it made more fiscal sense to stay with diesel, so they unanimously approved a motion to begin accepting bids for a new diesel bus. They expect to have the new bus before the start of the next school year.