Wakefield explores state grant and private lease option for electric school buses

Wakefield school officials told the committee they are exploring a state grant and a private leasing partner to pilot electric school buses for the district’s in‑house Class A buses.

The Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) and district staff met with Highland Fleets, a company the presenters described as an end‑to‑end provider that can help with infrastructure, grid partnerships and the grant application. The district is considering replacing one or two in‑district Class A buses through a grant; the administration emphasized the process is time‑sensitive.

Dr. Lyons and district staff said Highland Fleets will use the district’s fleet and contract data to shape a grant application and provide a cost estimate. The administration will analyze whether the grant would offset purchase and infrastructure costs sufficiently to avoid any negative impact on the regular operating budget; the district said staff would not pursue a program that increases the general‑fund cost of daily operations.

Committee members asked whether the lease would include drivers; presenters clarified the proposal applies to the district’s Class A buses (owned/operated by the district) and not to contracted services that supply drivers through NRT. Highland Fleets was described as a “soup‑to‑nuts” vendor that could shepherd the district through procurement, infrastructure and grant steps if the district chooses to apply.

No formal vote or commitment was made at the meeting; the administration requested permission to proceed with gathering the technical details and grant materials and to return with a cost‑benefit analysis. Committee members noted the timeline for the grant application is short and urged the administration to prioritize the fiscal analysis.