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District to buy three electric buses with $1.9M grant and build bus yard; board weighs reliability and contract protections
Summary
The district received MDE approval to purchase three electric buses with a $1.9 million grant and to use remaining funds to build a bus yard with charging; trustees raised concerns about cold-weather range, battery warranties, charger placement and backup buses, and staff said maintenance and loaner provisions will be written into contracts.
District officials told the board the state granted approval to use a $1.9 million award to purchase three electric buses and to apply remaining grant funds to construct a bus yard and charging infrastructure behind the high school.
Staff said the decision followed review of vendor proposals that included 10-year leasing options; after local benchmarking and consultation with a larger district, administrators concluded purchasing three buses and building infrastructure represented the best balance of innovation and operational risk. Officials said local routes are short—often five to 10 miles—so purchased vehicles will be deployed on those runs and placed on chargers between morning and afternoon routes.
Trustees raised practical concerns. A trustee recalled a Florida district where cold mornings prevented electric-bus use and noted that batteries and heating loads can substantially reduce range; another trustee said local testing suggested ranges of about 60–80 miles under ideal conditions, falling to roughly 50 miles in cold weather. Staff told the board vendors reported typical local-range numbers in that window and that the district would require maintenance and battery-replacement protections in contracts, including warranty coverage for primary propulsion batteries.
Administration said the district is negotiating contract terms to include loaner-diesel buses if an electric vehicle is not available, tire-protection provisions to offset heavier EV weights, and multi-year battery coverage. Staff also said they are investigating charger logistics with the utility to identify any favorable electricity-pricing or grant opportunities; the district plans indoor charging in the bus yard design to reduce cold-weather impacts.
No purchase vote occurred at the meeting. Staff said they will bring vendor proposals and contract terms for board review and approval prior to ordering vehicles.
