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Mount Diablo Unified highlights 23 grant‑funded electric buses and safety practices
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Summary
Transportation director Chris Lepe told the school board the district operates 109 buses, including 23 grant‑funded electric buses, emphasizes routine safety inspections and CHP oversight, and plans to grow but not fully convert to electric vehicles as battery and service considerations evolve.
Mount Diablo Unified School District's transportation director told the school board March 11 that the district operates 109 buses, drives roughly 1,000,000 miles annually, and currently has 23 electric buses purchased with grant funds.
"We service a 150 square miles of our area here, and we drive over 1,000,000 miles a year," Chris Lepe said. "We have 23 electric buses. Why do I highlight 23? Because those are all grant buses—the school district did not pay for those buses." Lepe said the electric buses were awarded through Carl Moyer and Bay Area Air Quality Management District grants intended to reduce emissions in impacted communities.
Lepe described the department's safety systems—daily driver pre‑trip and post‑trip inspections, quarterly CHP inspections of terminals, on‑board video systems, GPS tracking and emergency evacuation drills. He emphasized that drivers and mechanics perform regular checks and that the district maintains satisfactory CHP ratings.
When a trustee asked whether the district planned to move the entire fleet to electric, Lepe said the district plans to grow its electric fleet but will maintain a mix of vehicles: "You'll have electric, but we also need diesel. The battery technology for electric is getting better... we could see us growing our electric fleet, but not to the point where it's 50% or 100%."
A trustee raised concerns about manufacturer reliability after reports elsewhere of bankrupt suppliers; Lepe said Mount Diablo purchased MicroBird buses (distributed by Blue Bird) and has vendor support and dedicated mechanics to preserve uptime.
The presentation also noted operational changes: added routes (including a Rio Vista route that grew from one student to 24), athletic and shuttle services, and a homework run to support attendance. Board members praised the transportation team's safety focus and the use of grants and infrastructure dollars to add electric charging capacity at the district yard.
The board did not take any formal action on fleet purchases during the presentation; trustees thanked Lepe and directed staff to continue exploring grant opportunities and operational improvements.
