Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Summers County board hears update on $411,000 electric school bus, charger reimbursements
Summary
The Summers County Board of Education heard a transportation update on Aug. 13 about a 77‑passenger electric school bus listed at $411,000 and associated charger and power reimbursement estimates that board staff say will cut net local costs.
The Summers County Board of Education on Aug. 13 received a detailed update on the district’s electric‑bus procurement and related infrastructure costs.
Brian Boone, presenting the bus‑garage report, said the district has a 77‑passenger electric bus with a lift listed at $411,000 and that the county’s immediate share would be about $46,000. Boone said the charger under consideration is a 40‑kW unit that can serve two buses and that the district expects to have about 95% of the charger cost reimbursed. "We'll get 95% of that back," Boone said during his presentation. He also said the district had been told it would receive about 110% reimbursement on the power used to charge the bus.
Boone told the board the new electric bus has an estimated full‑charge range of roughly 150 miles on flat routes, a charging time of about six hours from empty, and a projected battery life of "somewhere between seven and 10 years." He said the state‑level fleet reimbursement rate should yield an estimated annual net gain of roughly $23,000 compared with a diesel bus, a figure Boone called part of the long‑term financial case for the purchase.
Board members asked about warranty coverage and long‑term maintenance; Boone said initial warranties should cover the first three years for key systems and that district staff would receive training from the vendor on safe operation and shutdown procedures. He also reported recent oversight visits: a federal motor‑carrier audit is under way and state inspections found no major deficiencies.
The presentation did not include a board vote on the purchase itself; the board acknowledged forthcoming invoices, charger funding details and additional delivery timing tied to state and vendor inspections. The superintendent said staff would continue working through reimbursement paperwork and logistical setup prior to broader rollout.
Next steps: staff will finalize charger specifications, confirm exact invoicing and reimbursement timelines, and return with any contract or financing items that require formal board approval.
