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Residents press Cornwall Central board to pursue NYSERDA school-bus electrification funding
Summary
Speakers from Mothers Out Front urged the Cornwall Central School District Board of Education during public comment to pursue New York State funding and produce a full fleet electrification plan after EPA funding became uncertain.
At a public-comment period of the Cornwall Central School District Board of Education meeting, local residents urged the board to pursue state funding and a district electrification plan for school buses after federal EPA funding appeared unlikely.
Megan Ren, Natalie Ren, and Lofton Reiser did not speak at this point. Natalie Ren, speaking for Mothers Out Front, told the board the group has grown to 23 local residents and wants the district to pursue New York State Energy Research and Development Authority funding and a district-level electrification plan. “NYSERDA’s school bus program does have a lot of funding still available,” Natalie Ren said, and she urged the board to pursue what she called the NYS school bus program (NYSBIP) even if EPA funds were not available.
The nut graf: Mothers Out Front asked the board to take a next step — have West Point Tours (the district’s transportation partner) apply for NYSERDA funding and produce a full-fleet electrification plan that would identify costs, grid needs and route feasibility. The public commenters cited vendor assessments and state programs as a near-term path to reduce diesel emissions on daily routes.
In discussion to the board, resident Lofton Reiser addressed safety and cold-weather range concerns raised by officials and parents. He cited a widely circulated 2022 statistic about vehicle fire rates — “1,530 combustion‑powered vehicles per 100,000 involved in vehicle fires compared to just 25 electric vehicles per 100,000” — and summarized vehicle stability and battery-range tradeoffs. Reiser said modern electric buses travel “100 to 200 plus miles on a charge,” which he said exceeds most local routes, and noted cold-weather range reductions: roughly 80% of rated range at 32°F and about 60% at 10°F.
Reiser said West Point Tours conducted an assessment of the local electric grid and found current capacity to support four electric buses at the district’s site, and he and Ren said they have contacted local legislators and Central Hudson to seek technical and political support. Ren told board members she would provide staff with clearer materials and links to NYSERDA guidance.
No board motion or vote followed the public comments. Board members asked clarifying questions elsewhere in the meeting but did not take formal action on electrification during this session.
Ending: Speakers asked staff for follow-up materials and suggested next steps (NYSERDA application and a district electrification plan) but left decisions for a future agenda.
