The Fayette County Board of Education Monday night approved the placement of two orders, but not the purchase, for new school buses before Dec. 31.

Stemming from a bus replacement plan proposed 12 years ago, the majority of buses will be paid for by 1-cent sales tax funds while two special needs buses will be purchased with federal stimulus funds. The bid was approved to lock in the price that will be good until Dec. 31.

The board decided on the purchase of two 48-passenger buses for special needs at $93,840 each. The buses come with the 2007 model engine and are air conditioned.

The board decided to go with the 2007 engines as opposed to the 2010 engines due to a $7,000 per unit savings. The board was told that the 2007 engines were new from the factory, with the difference being due to emissions requirements built in to the 2010 model.

The determination on the purchase of the larger number of buses, not to exceed 20 units, will be made at the board’s Nov. 2 meeting.

Cost and model considerations were the same with the remaining buses to be purchased with 1-cent sales tax money.

Those buses, however, could be a mix of 48-passenger and 72-passenger. The 48-passenger buses are priced at $93,840 for the 2007 model engine and $79,200 for the 72-passenger 2010 model engine. Air conditioning in the smaller buses was said to account for their higher price.

Bus purchases using 1-cent sales tax money had been previously placed at $1.35 million. The decision on the number of buses to be purchased based on expected revenue will be made at the Nov. 2 meeting.

The bids by Nalley Bus Group/International IC Buses was the low bid, according to transportation director Michael Jennings.