May 19, 2013
Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina is receiving 342 new school buses that replace buses up to 28 years old.
Superintendent Mick Zais said Thursday that students with disabilities are much more likely to get to school on time, and the savings from operating new buses means more money for classrooms.
South Carolina spent $28 million on buses costing $82,000 each. The oldest buses in South Carolina's fleet carry students with disabilities. Some have logged more than half a million miles.
The new arrivals will replace all models from 1984 through 1987, plus some from 1988. They include lifts and wheelchair spaces.
The last significant purchase was 529 buses during the 2007-08 school year. In 2007, legislators approved replacing the statewide fleet every 15 years, but they ignored the law amid the economic downturn.
(Copyright 2012, The Associated Press)
