Associated Press - October 1, 2010 9:34 AM ET

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas City, Kan., school district is getting help from a federal grant to purchase 47 new natural gas-powered buses.

District transportation director George Taylor says natural gas for the buses will cost 73 cents a gallon, compared to roughly $3 a gallon for diesel. The buses cost $146,000 each, but the Department of Energy grant is paying about half of that, making the vehicles about the same price as traditional diesel-powered buses.

Some of the costs also will be paid for with proceeds from selling the old buses.

KCTV reports that all of the district's bus drivers will get special training and be required to obtain a license to drive the buses.

Taylor says he also expects maintenance costs to go down.

Buck