Subcommittee approves $6.48 million EPA award to buy 25 electric school buses

A joint meeting of the Springfield School Committee subcommittees on budget and finance and legislative and contracts voted to accept $6,481,672 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles program to buy 25 electric school buses and associated charging equipment.

The superintendent and district staff told the subcommittee the total project cost is about $9.9 million and that roughly $3.4 million in matching funds will be required for charging infrastructure. "We're really excited to bring this grant to you ... The total project is actually $9,900,000 and there's about $3,400,000 in matching funds," said Chief Roche, who described the buses and the chargers the award would fund.

The grant award requires the district to take 25 diesel buses offline; the district does not own 25 diesel buses itself, staff said. To meet the requirement the application named 25 diesel buses owned by the contracted vendor First Student, including vehicle identification numbers, and those vehicles were certified in the application as the ones to be retired under the program.

Committee members asked how ownership, garaging and long-term benefit to the district would be handled if a vendor change occurs. "...we're almost making it as if they're going to be the ones awarded the contract in advance," said Miss Hurst, urging caution about purchasing buses that a private vendor might later own and garage.

Staff said discussions are planned with First Student to negotiate arrangements so Springfield Public Schools receives the anticipated benefit. They also described a timeline stretching over several years because of vehicle ordering, equipment installation and coordination with the utility. "The biggest delay in the whole thing is actually the utility company ... they told us they're about 3 years away," staff said, adding the grant term is five years and that staff believe the timeline is achievable.

A motion to accept expenditure of $6,481,672 from the EPA was made and seconded. In a roll call recorded by the clerk, Miss Monroe Wheeler voted yes, Miss Hurst voted yes and Miss Gresham was recorded absent. The subcommittee chair said there were sufficient votes and the matter passed.

The committee said it will meet with First Student to define ownership, maintenance and savings-split arrangements and return to the committee with proposed language and options before implementation. Staff also noted that drivers employed by First Student would not need different licensure to operate electric buses.

Votes at a glance: The subcommittee approved accepting the EPA Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles grant award of $6,481,672 to Springfield Public Schools for 25 electric buses and charging infrastructure.

The district will continue contract discussions with First Student and report back to the committee on ownership, garaging, and the plan for matching funds and electrical infrastructure timeline.