IC Bus will fulfill an order of 44 school buses for Franklin County Schools in Russellville, Alabama, the OEM announced on Tuesday.

The CE Series propane buses run on the Power Solutions International 8.8-liter LP propane engine. They are built at the IC Bus assembly plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We chose IC Bus propane buses for our school transportation needs because we’ve done business with Southland International Trucks Inc. for a long time and we trust them to be our partner in providing first-class products and service,” said Donald Borden, assistant superintendent of Franklin County Schools. “We’re pleased to partner with IC Bus as these new propane buses will improve our community environmentally, while also reducing our operating costs.”

The school bus OEM said that deliveries for Franklin County Schools’ order will begin in the summer and will be complete in time for back-to-school transportation needs in the 2018-19 school year.

“IC Bus is honored to partner with Southland International Trucks Inc. in providing Franklin County Schools environmentally friendly, reliable, and safe transportation,” said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus. “We are seeing strong sales of our propane-powered school buses throughout the country, and this sale is another example of continued interest in our alternative powertrains to transport students to and from school.”

In related news, the Propane Education & Research Council reported that the number of propane school buses in the nation is on the increase.