Resident raises concerns about electric school-bus costs and infrastructure during Depew public forum

At the Oct. 21 public forum, a resident raised concerns about electric school buses and urged the district to review the full costs of infrastructure, maintenance and fleet operations before pursuing electric vehicles.

"I encourage everybody to look into what this is actually costing us as far as it goes for infrastructure that's needed, the amount that it's gonna take to maintain the buses over the other options we have," the speaker said, describing a personal interest as a parent of a freshman. The resident also said available state funds might be better spent on other district needs, including additional teaching aides.

A board member responded that there are sessions about electric school buses at an upcoming conference and said they plan to attend to gather firsthand information from other districts that have piloted the technology. The board member noted local climate and infrastructure differences, saying electric buses have worked well in warmer climates but may present challenges in the district’s conditions and with local energy capacity.

No formal board action on electric school buses was taken at the meeting; the comments were part of the public forum and subsequent informal discussion about seeking additional information.