Chester‑Upland applies for EPA electric‑bus rebate, seeks solar panels for Chester High

Miss Hales, presenting two agenda items tied to facilities and transportation funding, said the district has applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Rebate for six electric buses and for chargers to be housed at Toby Farms.

The buses would be purchased through the rebate and leased to Chester Elite, the district’s transportation vendor, Miss Hales said. “We will be leasing the buses to them to transport our students,” she said. She added that the district is relying on Chester Elite to demonstrate the salvage of six existing buses to qualify for the rebate.

Miss Hales also said the district submitted a separate $500,000 grant application to install solar panels on Chester High School’s roof, noting the district previously received a $1.6 million grant to restore the roof. “If we get this grant … we will be putting solar panels on top of this building to generate clean energy,” she said.

Board members asked operational and contract questions. A director asked, “The company that you're leasing the buses from, are they responsible for maintenance?” Miss Hales replied that Chester Elite, as the current transportation vendor, would be responsible for maintenance and that electric buses generally have lower maintenance needs.

Miss Hales said the EPA planned to notify awardees in April 2025 and that contract negotiations to complete purchases would run roughly May through August, with the goal of using the buses in September 2025 if the awards are finalized. She said legal and procurement details would be worked out by the district solicitor if the application is approved.

The board did not take a formal vote on either application during the meeting.