The Kewanee School Board Monday agreed to purchase five new diesel-powered buses, citing fuel cost savings and better reliability over gasoline vehicles.

At Monday’s school board meeting, Supt. Rebecca Baney reported on the annual bus bidding. The District replaces five buses from its fleet every year.

Kewanee currently has no diesel buses; in fact, the school board had been moving away from diesel buses because the fuel cost is higher.

But Alex Binek, the district’s transportation superintendent, said he agreed that having some diesel buses was the way to go. While diesel fuel is more expensive, Binek said, the district would actually save on fuel costs since diesel buses get much better mileage.

Baney said the five gasoline buses the district purchased last year had mechanical problems.

In one case, a football coach had to repair one of the new buses on the side of the road on the way home from a game, she said.

Baney said it’s not a bad idea to have a “blended” fleet.

Board member Scott Steffen said diesel engines aren’t very fuel-efficient unless they get fully warmed up. That might not happen on short in-town runs, he said.

But bus drivers in the audience said there are plenty of out-of-town bus trips each day, on which the diesel buses could be more efficient.

The board approved the purchase of three full-size buses and two smaller 37-passenger buses for a total price of $525,310.

In a related matter, the board tabled a proposal to eliminate the position of assistant transportation director.

That action was taken after the three bus drivers in the audience spoke in support of the current assistant director, Larry Hampton.