Resident urges district to pursue electric school buses, cites state incentives and local support group

Roseanne Lorifas, a Manlius resident and member of the nonprofit Climate Change Awareness and Action (CCAA), spoke during public comment and asked the Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education to revisit electric school buses.

Lorifas told the board she recalled a prior district experiment with an electric bus that was reported as an unsuccessful trial and suggested a more deliberate, partnership-focused approach that would begin with planning and auditing rather than immediate fleet purchases. She cited state funding available for zero-emission school buses and named the New York State Bus Incentive Program (BIP) and a recent allocation of $200 million as part of the state's bond-funded investments for clean-air transportation.

Lorifas recommended the district start with an audit through Clean Communities of Central New York, whose director, Barry Carr, assists other districts with fleet-electrification planning and can connect districts to the state BIP and the EPA Clean School Bus program. She urged the board to develop short-, medium- and long-term priorities, form a fleet-electrification committee, contact the local utility, engage bus manufacturers, and consult the fire department on safety and response planning.

Discussion versus action: This item was a public comment and generated no formal board action during the meeting. Lorifas offered to serve as a community contact and to provide materials and references to help the district begin planning.

Context: Lorifas emphasized long-term cost savings and student-health benefits from reduced diesel exhaust and asked the board to consider a phased approach that could begin with one bus and expand after successful planning and grant capture.