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District says grants will provide six electric buses and chargers for emergency support
Summary
Superintendent Nielson told the board the district secured multiple grants to provide six electric buses, associated charging stations and the potential to use bus batteries for emergency power at two schools; the grants combined amount to a little over $2.5 million for buses and chargers, and staff aim to have equipment ready by the end of 2026.
Superintendent Nielson briefed the board on recent grant awards that together provide six electric buses and supporting charging infrastructure for the district. "Between all three entities, they've walked us back to six buses that will be for the district," he said, adding the packaged grants total "a little over $2.5 million just in buses." The grants also fund charging stations, including four chargers at Roosevelt Middle School and bidirectional chargers at Milikan Elementary that could allow buses to serve as emergency power sources for those campuses.
Nielson said the district is exploring the opportunity to pilot electric vehicles and expects implementation work to proceed via a request for proposals. Administration set a target of readying infrastructure by Dec. 31, 2026, with a push to have the buses in service by the start of a future school year if procurement and RFP timing permits.
Board members asked operational questions about charging locations, bus range and driver training; the superintendent and staff said drivers will receive orientation and that the district will pilot vehicles to learn operating differences from diesel buses. The presentation framed the buses both as a pilot for future fleet choices and as a community resilience asset that could support emergency management centers with on-site power during outages.
The board did not take procurement votes at this meeting; staff asked the board to review materials and confirm readiness to proceed once final procurement details and RFP outcomes are available.
