Hamilton contracts fleet study as district weighs electric buses and high infrastructure costs

The board received an update on March 14 about the district’s plan to assess electric school‑bus feasibility. The district engaged Polaris (a fleet consultant) to analyze current routes, student loads and the electrical infrastructure required to support electric vehicles and chargers; staff estimated completion of the study in roughly eight weeks.

Cody Crum described the study’s scope: route analysis, system‑power needs, preliminary evaluation of on‑site electrical capacity and constraints, and a report that the district can use to show progress toward state EV deadlines. He said the district was pursuing the study to satisfy state requirements and to inform next steps with municipal utility partners.

Board discussion focused on cost and operational limits. Trustees cited high vehicle quotes (district examples included mid‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar quotes for 30‑passenger vehicles and substantially higher costs for full‑size 70‑passenger EV buses compared with diesel), and noted superchargers can cost tens of thousands of dollars apiece (a cited figure in the meeting was roughly $60,000 per charger). Some district buildings and garages are served by municipal utilities, creating coordination and eligibility challenges for grant programs.

Crum said the study will produce scenarios (including where extra chargers would be required for longer extracurricular runs) and that it will help the district plan infrastructure and procurement.

What’s next: the Polaris study will be completed and staff will report findings; the board will use the analysis to plan procurement, infrastructure investment and potential grant applications.