The Fitchburg School Committee heard an update on the district’s electric‑school‑bus program on Dec. 2, where administrators said the district, in partnership with its bus contractor, has secured major grant funding and is planning depot upgrades to support electrification.

School official Jeremy reported that, in a partnership pursued with First Student, Fitchburg was awarded a $6,200,000 EPA Clean School Bus grant intended to purchase roughly 18 electric school buses. He also said the district received a $1,600,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center under the ACT Accelerating Clean Transportation program to upgrade the First Student depot’s charging infrastructure. Jeremy said the administration is pursuing an additional EPA Clean School Bus application for eight more electric buses and that, if awarded and accepted, about 80% of the fleet could be electric.

Officials estimated implementation in late 2025 to early 2026, contingent on procurement, infrastructure installation and contractor arrangements. Jeremy described potential benefits including lower local emissions and quieter buses, and said some vehicles and depot chargers can return power to the grid in certain configurations; detailed technical and contractual decisions remain for the procurement phase.

Committee members asked whether the buses and chargers would be district‑owned; presenters said the original awards were pursued through First Student and that long‑term ownership and who ultimately owns chargers will depend on future contracting and bid results. The administration said it will return with procurement details as they are decided.

The presentation included cost context: presenters discussed the high upfront cost of zero‑emission buses and the role of grants in offsetting that expense, and emphasized that depot charging upgrades are required before a broad rollout.