The voice of the auctioneer rambled through the morning Wednesday, as Shelby County Schools sold off its annual surplus vehicle fleet.

"We have a lot of youth and we take a lot of trips and we want to be able to take our kids when we need to," said Harpersville Mayor and church pastor Theo Perkins.

He paid $3,800 to buy a school bus for the youth of Liberty Christian Church.

The school system usually auctions 15 to 20 buses a year, but today, 70 Blue Birds flew the coop.

The new buses that will replace all those sold Wednesday have many more safety features like big windows and sloping noses for better front viewing.

Bus drivers say one of the biggest factors in keeping a school bus safe is warning other drivers, which is why new buses have strobe lights on top and flashing signs on the back.

"Most people don't pay attention to what they're doing, talking on a cell phone, legally in the state of Alabama if you drive a bus you can't talk on a phone," said Kenneth Lucas.

He and other scout leaders from Christ Church United Methodist on Caldwell Mill Road paid $3,600 hundred for the bus they won at the auction. They will also spend some money for new paint and Boy Scout Troop 5 logos.

"We have to make sure that all the school bus emblems are painted off of them, our name Shelby County has to be painted off before we can let them go out of this lot," said school fleet manager Jerry Davidson.

He says that's because people who buy buses like these become responsible for keeping them safe, and as soon as they leave the county bus lot, they are no longer subject to state and federal safety inspections.

The average selling price for the surplus buses in the auction was around $3,800.