After months of analysis, the West Aurora School District 129 board has decided to add some electric school buses to the district’s fleet.
The plan to bring in 27 electric buses to replace some older diesel models is part of the district’s ongoing efforts to be environmentally-conscious, district officials said.
The move impacts more than one-third of the district’s bus fleet.
The district has a fleet of 73 buses powered by diesel engines, half of which are under two-year leases due to expire at the end of the school year.
Several changes made the school district’s administration look closer at a proposal to make a switch to add some electric buses, including competitive pricing, federal funding and rebates.
The board weighed the benefits of partnering with Massachusetts-based Highland Electric Fleets or purchasing the buses on its own. Highland has projects across the country and has specialized knowledge in the field of electric buses, officials have said.
The decision was made Nov. 18. The board decided to partner with Highland due to several key factors as presented by the administration, including contract concessions, West Aurora School Board President Richard Kerns said.
Highland agreed to all the concessions the district requested in the contract, Kerns said.
Other factors in going with Highland include risk management and guarantees, he said.
“Given that this is new technology and our first venture into this area, we wanted to mitigate the risks associated with the many components involved, from charging stations to maintaining 27 buses. Highland’s commitment to reimburse for any repairs and their guarantee of always having a working bus available for our students were critical assurances for the board,” Kerns said.
The Highland contract provides flexibility for the district, he said.
“The board was keen on having the flexibility to exit the contract if needed. The district can cancel the contract after five years, allowing us to revert to gas buses or adopt newer EV technology should it become more viable and cost-effective,” Kerns said.
There is also some cost-efficiency by going with Highland, he said.
“By partnering with Highland, we benefit from bulk purchasing, which allows us to obtain the buses at a reduced rate,” Kerns said.
“Ultimately, the board saw this as a unique opportunity to transition some of our fleet to EV buses at a fraction of the cost of new gas buses. Highland not only provided the best overall experience but also offered the most comprehensive protection for our district as we integrate EV buses into our fleet,” Kerns said.
The buses will come from Lion Electric Company, district officials said.
The district applied for and was awarded a $5.5 million grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, West Aurora School District Assistant Superintendent of Operations Angie Smith said.
In addition, there are federal tax credits totaling over $1 million and ComEd incentives of at least $380,000 that can be used as part of the move to electric buses, she said.
“The buses and charging stations are a $9 million investment. After all of the incentives available, we estimate that the district will only expend $1.7 million. Those costs will then be eligible for reimbursement through the annual transportation claim with (the state board of education), further reducing our net costs,” Smith said.
The district will benefit from Highland’s experience in the installation of the charging stations and the deployment of buses, Smith said.
“In addition, we were able to leverage better pricing on our buses as they are buying in volume. The contract also provides us stability for budgeting as their all-in pricing will cover any expenses we have, from tires to charging to battery replacement if needed,” Smith said.
The district will coordinate with ComEd for service concerning the new buses, and with Highland to install the chargers themselves.
“We are confident it will be completed, but if for some reason it isn’t, our contract includes Highland procuring replacement buses until charging is up and running,” Smith said.
She said the plan is to have the electric buses ready to go for the 2025-26 school year.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.