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District weighs bus proposition after federal pause; staff recommends pause on EV expansion and 3+3 diesel option
Summary
Transportation staff reported mixed reliability for electric buses and said EPA award letters for previously applied-for EV funding have been paused; because of operational downtime and uncertain federal funding, staff recommended including three large and three small diesel buses in a possible 2025 proposition while preserving future EV options.
Transportation staff presented the Board with a fleet review and grant-status update and said the district currently records 104 vehicles in its fleet, including seven electric buses on district property and three electric buses currently at the Matthews vendor lot.
Staff described recurring operational challenges with some EV buses, including extended out-of-service periods while vehicles were under warranty and battery repairs required by manufacturers. The presenter said several EV units were out of service for significant proportions of a 180‑day period and warned that when an EV is unavailable the district sometimes must backfill with a diesel bus, increasing short-term operational costs.
On funding, transportation staff said the district had applied for and received EPA Clean School Bus Rebate awards for six large EV buses but subsequently received notification that the EPA award has been paused pending federal funding decisions. The presenter said NYSERDA funding tied to New York's Bus Incentive Program (Environmental Bond Act of 2022) has been approved for the three large buses that were part of the May 2024 proposition and that the state award appears secure. The EPA pause, however, leaves a timing and cash‑flow question: if federal funds do not materialize, the district could proceed using the available state award but would have to front a larger amount locally until state aid reimburses the capital cost over the bond term.
Transportation staff summarized comparative costs (gross): a large EV bus roughly $456,000 vs a diesel large bus about $180,000; a small EV about $326,000 vs a small diesel about $92,000. Staff noted federal and state voucher programs can offset most of the EV gross cost and that NYSERDA/state-aid mechanics can reduce the local net impact, but that the district would initially need to cover more outlay if EPA funds are delayed or do not arrive.
Given the operational reliability issues and the current federal uncertainty, transportation staff recommended the Board consider placing three large diesel buses and three small diesel buses on an upcoming proposition while pausing further EV purchases this year. Several trustees expressed support for that recommendation as a temporary, pragmatic step while the district continues to operate and evaluate its existing EV buses and charge-management systems.
Staff said it would work with bond counsel to draft proposition language and return to the Board with final wording; staff also promised to update the Board if further EPA or state grant information becomes available.
