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Board approves $4 million county grant to replace nine diesel buses with electric fleet
Summary
The Natomas Unified School District Board unanimously approved retiring nine diesel buses in exchange for a $4.0 million Sacramento County Air Quality Management District grant to acquire nine electric buses; public commenters urged the board to tie the investment to enforceable commitments guaranteeing transportation for special-day-class students.
The Natomas Unified School District Board voted unanimously to accept a $4,000,000 grant from the Sacramento County Air Quality Management District to replace nine of the district's oldest diesel buses with electric vehicles.
During the public comment period, Jen Souza urged the board to ensure the grant results in accessible transportation for students with disabilities, saying the money "needs to go back into our children who use that transportation the most, special day class students." Board members discussed the logistics and financial benefit of the grant; Doug Orr, speaking for the transportation team, described the award as avoiding an otherwise significant capital expense: "It's basically like a 4,000,000 expense we would have had to cover getting covered for free." Trustee Dasek moved approval and Trustee Maida seconded; the roll-call vote was 5–0 in favor.
Trustees noted the vehicles targeted are some of the district's oldest buses and said electric buses are well-suited for the district's stop-and-go routes. The board did not attach additional binding language on SDC transportation during the vote; public commenters requested that the board consider enforceable commitments ensuring special-education students receive district transportation as part of implementation planning.
