USD 257 welcomed officials from the Environmental Protection Agency who presented a $690,000 ceremonial check Thursday for the purchase of two electric buses and a charging station.
School board members in June approved an EPA program that will provide two electric school buses at about half of the price of one diesel bus. The district will pay $70,772 for the two buses and associated equipment.
“Even if a school district is energy-conscious and willing to explore reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these decisions must be justified within a general budget,” Superintendent Stacey Fager said, noting the district would not have been able to afford EV buses without the EPA program.
Fager said the new buses, which will be used on regular bus routes, “will produce zero emissions and be much quieter for our bus drivers and our students.”
“USD 257 has a tradition of being innovative and thinking outside the box,” Board president Jennifer Taylor said. “When the opportunity for this electric bus came up, I knew it was exactly in line with our tradition and our focus.”
The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $5 billion in funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, which produce zero-tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, which produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to existing school buses. Schools in low-income communities were given priority status to purchase the buses.
“By investing in zero-emission school buses, we are not only improving air quality but also prioritizing the health and safety of our nation’s children,” said EPA Region 7 Air and Radiation Division Director Dana Skelley.
“Iola joins school districts across the nation that have decided to be part of the solution toward climate resilience. The goal is that eventually clean school buses will be the standard in our country and not the exception. That means better air quality in and around schools and communities, reduction in greenhouse gas pollution and better health for everyone, especially children.”
USD 257 Transportation Director Aaron Cole spoke about the many partnerships required for the project. City officials worked with the district to provide the electrical infrastructure needed to install a dual charging station on the southeast side of the bus lot. The district is purchasing the charging station from InCharge Energy Inc. and the buses will come from Kansas Truck Equipment of Wichita, which sells and services Blue Bird school buses.
School board members debate the electric buses for a few months before finally agreeing to the program. The EPA is in its third year of a five-year funding cycle for the rebates. In the first year of the program, some districts faced no cost at all. Iola qualified this year. Cole said it’s unlikely the district will get another opportunity for such significant savings. Research showed positive results from other districts that received buses from the EPA program.
Cole said he plans to limit the route for the buses to mostly hard-topped roads out of concern about wear-and-tear from gravel roads, and as he learns more about the buses’ ability to navigate snowy or muddy roads. Cole said he likely would assign the buses to routes around Gas and LaHarpe.
Cole said he anticipates a learning curve, much like any new technology.
The buses are due to arrive sometime in the late fall to early spring. In the meantime, Cole said he will arrange training for drivers, Iola firefighters and first responders on how to handle the new buses and address emergencies.
