Madison District wins $1.9 million state grant to pursue electric buses

Superintendent Perry told the board that the Michigan Department of Education awarded Madison District Public Schools $1.9 million through a Get Clean Bus grant to support electric buses and related charging infrastructure. "Madison District Public Schools, we we received $1.9 million," the superintendent said, adding that the district is evaluating how many buses to lease and which vendor to select.

The superintendent said the grant will allow the district to replace up to half of its diesel fleet through a lease arrangement offered by vendors in the Oakland County Consortium. Under the proposed model, vendors would lease buses to the district for a 10-year term and handle installation of chargers and site work, with the infrastructure closely tied to the lease agreement.

Board members pressed administrators on vehicle range and service contingency plans. "When you said it can only go 45 miles, did you mean like 45 miles there and 45 miles back? 90 total or 45 total? Total?" President Carlos Harp asked. The presenter replied the practical single-charge range observed on a peer district visit was about 45 miles per trip and that range varies with weight and ambient temperature; bus operators could recharge between routes but the district should plan routes to remain in-district.

Administrators said the district visited Dearborn Public Schools to observe a fleet of 19 electric buses and the charging operation, and noted that one vendor can include charger installation in the lease package and pursue DTE grants to fund infrastructure. They estimated it will take at least one year to build the charging infrastructure and align that timeline with expiring diesel bus leases.

Officials also highlighted operational risks: because the buses would be leased, the district would not own them outright, and the board asked who would provide a replacement vehicle if an electric bus became inoperable. The superintendent said those details remain to be negotiated with vendors and will be part of the vendor presentation planned for the April meeting.

The administration said preliminary projections suggested potential fuel and maintenance savings — one estimate was roughly $300,000 over 10 years if the district replaced half of its fleet — but cautioned those figures were provisional until vendors provide firm proposals and cost models.

Next steps: administration will return with vendor presentations in April, including firm proposals on fleet size, charging infrastructure, lease terms and contingency plans for vehicle downtime.