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Prospect Charter school buses will be all-electric By Kevin Opsahl Updated: Nov 02, 2022 12:34 PM A A Electric school buses are lined up on chargers. Electric school buses are lined up on chargers. The Prospect Charter School District received a federal grant to purchase three all-electric school buses. [Image courtesy of Lion Electric] Prospect Charter School District will replace all three of its school buses with all-electric ones, one of only two school districts in the state to make the green switch thanks to President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Prospect district will get $1,185,000 for the buses while the Banks School District will receive $4,345,000 in funding for 11 buses, according to a news release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, guided under its own Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. The combined $5 million is a fraction of the $1 billion going to 400 school districts nationwide for electric buses under the infrastructure law. “It’s an opportunity not everybody has been afforded, so we feel lucky we were one of the first chosen,” said Daye Stone, superintendent of Prospect Charter School District. “It’s going to be kind of fun.” Though the buses probably won’t be ready until fall 2023, Stone noted two of the buses likely would be able to haul around 55 passengers while the other would be slightly bigger, holding 85 for longer trips. The superintendent said he is excited about the potential an all-electric bus fleet will have on Prospect Charter School, owing to the fact he has touted community engagement as a focal point for how the school should operate. “I think, in general, having new, cutting-edge technology of any kind is good for our community,” Stone said. “And for our students to be able to ride in something that is brand-new, quieter and safer, it’s a win-win situation.” Prospect officials had known the infrastructure law, signed by Biden nearly a year ago, would contain money for clean energy transportation. “When the process was made public in August, we weren’t even sure we were going to throw our name in the hat, but after reflection on everything, we decided, ‘Hey, what does it hurt? Let’s put in for it.’ So we did,” Stone said. He noted Prospect Charter School’s only request was that it replace its current fleet of buses. School officials were not aware of how much money the EPA would award them until they saw the agency’s news release. The $1.8 million won’t just go toward paying for the new buses, Stone said. The money also will pay for necessary infrastructure, including charging stations. But there is yet another hurdle: a high demand for buses and not enough supply, the superintendent acknowledged. “Transportation is a huge animal right now,” Stone said. “The demand for buses is way higher than supply. Right now, if you were to order a new bus from any company, you’re looking at a year to 18 months out of having it built. So it takes time to build these buses according to what our needs are.” For now, Stone will meet with administrators at First Student, the busing company it contracts with, to discuss “next steps” to begin to work to get the all-electric fleet — the first step of many. Other than that, Stone said he is not sure what the entire process will look like to get Prospect the three electric buses. He is hopeful the school will be able to meet its target time frame of having the fleet ready. The superintendent noted that in spearheading the rebate competition, the EPA seems to be prioritizing underserved school districts, including rural ones. “(The agency is) bringing ... underserved types of technology to rural districts,” Stone said. “We have basic transportation, like everybody else, but there are some equity gaps between urban and rural school districts. I think that’s one of the reasons why we were chosen.” Reach reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevJourno.