Superintendent outlines West Lot plan to expand electric-fleet operations and contract bus services
Summary
District leaders proposed converting a 4.5-acre West Lot into a charging and operations hub to expand an electric bus fleet and provide contracted transportation services to neighboring districts. The plan estimates a $20 million build cost and projects up to $7 million annual revenue funded largely by grants and contract fees.
Superintendent Rubacaba told the board the district is exploring a plan to repurpose the West Lot behind district offices into an operations center for an expanding electric bus fleet and inter-district contracted services.
The conceptual plan described a 22,500-square-foot building, approximately 100 bus parking spaces, 100 employee parking spaces, a solar array with battery storage and on-site superchargers to support electric buses. Staff estimated the build at roughly $20,000,000 and said the cost would be offset by grants already awarded to the district and revenue generated by contracting transportation services to nearby districts such as Banning, Beaumont and Val Verde. The superintendent said the long-term revenue goal from contracting was about $7,000,000 per year.
Board members supported further study. Trustees asked staff to describe how the facility could create career-technical pathways for students (bus mechanics, transportation management) and to return with a schematic, cost breakdown, grant assumptions and an analysis of job and curriculum opportunities tied to the facility.
The board gave consensus for staff to proceed with a deeper feasibility study and return with design options and financial scenarios.
