Ekalaka Public Schools students are traveling safer now after the purchase of a new bus. The old activities bus, which was fully depreciated, had broken down on multiple trips over the last two years, including during a basketball tournament last year and when the CCHS Bulldogs were traveling home from a football game in Savage this fall. The Ultra Coachliner sits on a Freightliner M2 chassis, is powered by a Cummins diesel engine and sports an Allison transmission.

The Freightliner was a sort of 'middle-of-the-road' option for the district. It was far less expensive than buying a Coach and, although there were some less expensive options out there, the district hopes that the cost of maintenance will be lower and save money in the long haul.

The bus can seat 52 passengers and has many added safety features such as traction control and a seatbelt for every seat. Other features are six TV screens, overhead carriage, LED lighting and WiFi connectivity so that students can research and do homework while they travel. Each seat also has an outlet.

The bus made its maiden voyage when CCHS traveled to Broadus for basketball games on January 4.

"It's better than being stuck on the side of the road," said CCHS senior Tori Tooke about the bus. "It's comfortable and makes us feel kind of spoiled."

The teams were able to try out the TV screens when they watched a movie on the way back from the games, but according to senior Claire Callahan the screens aren't even the best part. "The best part is the outlets," she said. "I'll never have a dead phone again."