LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Jefferson County Public Schools have purchased 18 hybrid electric school buses as part of a statewide push to use more of the fuel-efficient vehicles to save money on gas.
The district now has 50 such buses, more than any other school district in the country, while Kentucky has nearly 160 such buses, tops in the nation.
The hybrids, which use both diesel fuel and electricity, were purchased in 36 districts throughout Kentucky during the past year using federal stimulus money as part of a statewide experiment to see if they can save schools money and reduce the impact on the environment.
The state plans to add about 50 more as other districts express interest. And so far, reports of gas savings are encouraging.
Jefferson County schools vehicle maintenance head, John Ackerman, told The Courier-Journal that the county's more than 1,200 regular school buses get anywhere from 6.5 miles a gallon to 7 miles a gallon, and so far, the hybrid buses have been getting about 8.5 to 9 miles per gallon (http://cjky.it/xFnABV).
With most buses traveling an average of 17,000 miles a year, each of those hybrid buses are expected to save the district about 700 gallons of fuel, he said.
