San Antonio district debuts special propane buses

While many districts across the U.S. have converted school buses from diesel-run to propane, the new buses are the first to come off the production line propane-ready, said Erin Lake, a spokeswoman for Fort Valley, Ga.-based Blue Bird Corp.

The 16 buses are cheaper and cleaner than traditional diesel models, said Northside Independent School District superintendent John Folks.

"So as we continue to move in the direction of using propane, certainly it's going to be something that's going to help us, from a district standpoint, handle the increasing fuel costs," Folks said Monday.

Folks said a gallon of diesel costs about $3.85, while a gallon of propane is $1.73. Rafael Salazar, the district's transportation department director, said the district will also get a rebate of 50 cents on the gallon for propane through a federal tax credit.

The district is the fourth-largest in Texas, with an expected 88,500 students next school year, Folks said.

The number of students riding the bus to and from school is expected to rise from 42,000 to 45,000 next year because parents will try to cut back on driving to save on gas, said Salazar.

Accounting for past diesel-to-propane conversions, Salazar said 367 of the district's 739 buses, including the 16 new vehicles, run on propane.