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District wins $800,000 PGE grant for three electric buses; buses will be owned by First Student under pass-through arrangement
Summary
Silver Falls will receive an $800,000 PGE electric-bus grant to purchase three electric buses and charging infrastructure; the grant is a pass-through to the district but assets are expected to be owned by First Student under the required operating arrangement.
The Silver Falls School District announced it has secured an $800,000 grant from Portland General Electric to fund three electric school buses and related charging infrastructure.
District leaders said the award covers the buses plus a charging station and related infrastructure and that the grant instrument is a pass-through: the district applied and accepted the funds, but the vehicles and charging assets are expected to be titled to First Student, the district’s contracted transportation provider. Board discussion and staff briefings with First Student were described as ongoing; the board asked First Student to meet with the board in a future session to explain fleet ownership, operations and long-term implications.
Staff gave these numbers in the meeting: the district’s grant package totals approximately $800,000; roughly $150,000 of that is earmarked for charging infrastructure; each electric bus purchased under the program typically costs well over $400,000. The district expects the three buses to be used primarily on in-town routes because current-range profiles favor shorter routes; staff and First Student expect the buses to be on the road by late 2026.
District staff said they applied for and accepted the funds as a public entity because the funder will not award grants directly to private vendors. Under the proposed arrangement, First Student would assume ownership of the buses and charging infrastructure and operate them under the district’s existing route contracts. Staff said the district has requested a draft memorandum of understanding from First Student describing ownership terms and asset disposition if the district changes providers in the future.
Ending: District and First Student will return with a draft MOU and additional operational details for board review; staff noted the grant may open opportunities for future grant rounds and additional electric vehicles for in-town routes.
