Hyde Park board to ask voters Nov. 19 to approve purchase of 17 electric buses using EPA and NYSERDA grants

District administrators presented details Oct. 10 on a proposed capital purchase that would go to voters on Nov. 19: 17 large electric buses and associated chargers at a total contract price presented as $7,900,000. Administration said the district was awarded an EPA competitive grant of $3,400,000 (capped at $200,000 per bus) and qualifies for NYSERDA New York School Bus Incentive Program (NISBIP) vouchers for a subset of buses.

"After the board had adopted the budget, we were informed that we were awarded a grant for $3,400,000 — we could use $200,000 per bus," the presenter said, noting the EPA award and additional NYSERDA vouchers substantially reduce the district's net cost. Administration explained the procurement would be phased: nine buses would be covered by EPA plus NISBIP vouchers to reduce purchase costs to near zero for that tranche; eight additional buses would carry the remaining net cost. Administration showed net upfront cash required of $2,200,000 from the district's capital reserve (no borrowing, no tax-levy increase planned) and estimated state aid at roughly 59.2% on eligible costs. The presenter estimated a net cost per bus after state aid and tax credits of less than $31,000.

The presenter also discussed other incentives: the district plans to claim direct-pay tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (described as potentially $40,000 per bus, subject to eligibility rules) and seek NYSERDA charger grants (up to $65,000 per charger for prioritized districts). "The bus that's out front is the one that we just purchased... the bus is in the parking lot for 10 more minutes. If anyone wants to go out and see it, Nicole, our assistant supervisor for transportation, is on the bus and she is happy to show people around," the presenter said.

Board members asked for clarifications about the tax-credit math and warranty and life-expectancy estimates for electric buses; the presenter quoted an 8-year/175,000-mile warranty on the drive battery and a 5-year/100,000-mile warranty on the motor and said New York State guidance anticipates a roughly 12-year life expectancy for electric buses. The district said it is collecting operating-cost comparisons from two vendors and will provide updates after the pilot: one driver will pilot the bus on a shorter run for about a month, then it will be assigned to a longer route to compare performance.

Administration emphasized grant timing and the need to have a purchase order in place to accept EPA funds by Nov. 29; that timing is why the district is scheduling an off-cycle vote for Nov. 19. The board and administration encouraged public engagement at the Oct. 19 family resource center ribbon-cutting and the upcoming community chat before the vote.

No formal board vote on the purchase was taken at the Oct. 10 meeting; the board heard the presentation, asked questions and set public outreach steps ahead of the Nov. 19 voter proposition.