The Dalton Board of Education in a called meeting Friday authorized the purchase of property at 1810 S. Hamilton St. for a bus barn.
Board members also voted to transfer $1.4 million from the general fund to the capital fund for the purchase and approved a resolution to reimburse the capital fund with money from any bonds the school system might issue next year.
School officials have been looking at bringing bus service in-house. It is currently contracted out to First Student. First Student currently uses the South Hamilton Street site as a bus barn. The school system would lease it back to First Student until it is ready to begin its own bus service.
Superintendent Tim Scott said that if no issues are discovered as they finalize the deal, he expects to close on the property in January.
School officials asked the City Council this fall to approve a resolution to have the Dalton Building Authority issue $13 million in bonds for Dalton Public Schools to buy school buses. The council members at the time said they needed more information.
School officials say they hope to schedule a joint work session between the board members and the council members in January to answer any questions the council members might have.