Transportation director presents 12‑year lease for eight electric buses; company cites $395,000 per bus and turnkey support

The Gadsden School District’s transportation director and a representative from Highland/Hyland presented a proposal to lease eight electric buses under a 12‑year equipment service agreement that the company said would include a full turnkey solution: vehicles, chargers, utility work, energy, training and a parts/labor reimbursement arrangement.

Transportation director Matthew Brian told the board the district’s current fleet includes many vehicles roughly 14–15 years old and many with more than 200,000–250,000 miles. He said a five‑year replacement plan identified about 24 buses that need attention and that procuring electric buses now would reduce diesel, maintenance and fuel volatility over time.

The company representative (identified as Holland) said each bus’s funding in the presentation was around $395,000, and the package they described would bring about $3 million in federal funds to the district for the eight‑bus tranche. Holland said the 12‑year contract is flexible at term end — the district could renew, pursue new vehicles, or use existing vehicles under a different model — and that the agreement covers battery replacement under the company umbrella insurance near year 11.

The proposal also included on‑site technician training, and the company said it would reimburse the district for parts and labor when district technicians work on the vehicles (hourly reimbursement plus replacement parts). Board members asked clarifying questions about the lease terms, the long contract duration, and operational impacts; staff and the vendor said they would return with additional contract detail and pricing specifics.

What’s next: the company and staff will provide more detailed contract terms and implementation timelines for board review before any final decision.