Madison County schools are on the road toward reducing their carbon foot print. New hybrid electric school buses are being added to their fleet. The school system hopes this can be a great learning experience in being environmentally friendly.

Recently, Franklin County received two new hybrid electric buses and now Madison County is adding four to their fleet. Soon there will be 213 hybrid buses on the roads, making Kentucky schools one of the most environmentally friendly in the nation.

"Typically a bus will get 5-6 miles a gallon depending on the run. We're in hopes that we will get 10-11 mpg," says Jeff Niblock of Whayne Supply.

Manufactures anticipate a fuel savings of 30-40 percent and the buses can carry more students.

"These buses are 72 passenger buses. Typically most buses in the state are at least 66," says Niblock.

As the school systems make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint, it's a hands on lesson for students.

"There will be opportunities to talk about what is a hybrid and what about kinetic energy because that's what the lesson is. The use of stored energy, the use of active energy. These buses are a great example," says Madison County Superintendent, Tommy Floyd.

All of the hybrid buses are being funded by a $13 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.