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Jun 1, 2008 12:00 PM

In one of the largest fleet purchase deals the school bus industry has ever seen, First Student Inc., a subsidiary of FirstGroup America, has signed an agreement for IC Bus LLC to supply CE Series school buses through 2010, with further options to purchase additional buses through 2012. Including option years, the deal could be worth up to $1.2 billion.

The first of the buses to be purchased over the next three years is scheduled for delivery in summer 2008 from the IC Bus plant in Tulsa OK.

The IC Bus CE Series school buses are Type C school buses, also known as “conventional” school buses that are most common in the industry and feature a front-mounted engine. Powered by fuel-efficient International MaxxForce diesel engines, CE Series school buses offer durability, reliability, and serviceability, while providing innovations for passenger and driver protection and comfort.

These new IC Bus buses meet 2007 United States emissions standards, making them among the cleanest buses on the road today. In fact, research shows buses that meet the 2007 EPA standard are 60 times cleaner than buses built before 1990.

All of the buses ordered by First Student will be built to its customers' specifications and equipped with front safety crossing gates, electronic child check reminder system, and steering wheel-mounted door and warning light controls.