Jones Co. Schools adds 13 new buses

By Amy Beets, people@laurelleadercall.com Many Jones County School District students will soon be riding in style with the addition of 13 new buses for the 2008-2009 school year. The district currently has 160 buses total with 132 being used on routes. The remaining are used for substitute and full time spares. JCSD transportation director Terry Graham said many of the older buses will be rotated off with the newer ones. One of the new buses is handicap while the other 12 are standard. The buses were purchased from Burroughs Diesel. An average school bus costs $70,000; however, the district will not disclose how much the new buses were purchased for. The new rides feature white tops instead of the traditional yellow, helping to keep the buses 12 degrees cooler. Graham said the white tops help reflect the sun better as opposed... [read full story]