New school buses rolling into Fayette County

As part of a plan to update its bus fleet, Fayette County Public Schools is surplusing 20 of its oldest buses and buying 15 new ones.

Roxane Owen, director of transportation, submitted the request to the Board of Education, which approved it 5-0 on April 22. The new buses will include 10 conventional, 72-seat vehicles and five 54-passenger ones outfitted for special-needs students. The cost for all 15 will be just under $1.4 million of ESPLOST funds.

The buses being retired are 11-15 years old; some might be repurposed as mobile science and technology labs if a project presented to the board in March by students at Whitewater High School gets approval, funding and community partners.