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District announces $18.7 million CalSTART grant to buy 39 electric school buses
Summary
Jurupa Unified staff announced an $18,700,000 CalSTART zero‑emission school bus grant to buy 39 electric buses and install Level 2 chargers; staff said some CNG buses will be retained for longer trips while mechanics receive cross‑training.
Jurupa Unified staff told the board on Feb. 17 that the district was awarded an $18,700,000 CalSTART school bus incentive grant to purchase 39 zero‑emission electric school buses and install EV charging infrastructure.
"These funds will support the purchase of 39 new 0 emission electric school buses to replace our aging buses and as well as the installation of EV charging stations to be able to support those buses," district staff said. The district said the chargers funded by the grant are Level 2 and not the faster rapid chargers; the district plans to retain some compressed natural gas (CNG) buses for long‑distance trips and has identified CNG refueling locations for extended drives.
Trustees asked about range, turnaround time and whether mechanics will be trained to service the new vehicles. Staff said current mechanics have been cross‑trained on existing electric buses and will receive additional training for the new models. The district also credited years of work by transportation and purchasing teams to assemble the grant application.
Board members praised the grant as a major step toward clean‑fleet goals and operational savings on fuel and maintenance. Staff said the district will manage a phased fleet exchange — a one‑for‑one swap that allows keeping some CNG buses in reserve until final exchanges occur.
