SMCISD to get 6 electric buses from EPA federal grant
Six new electric buses and bus chargers will be added to the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District fleet following the award of a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s second round of funding for the Clean School Bus Program.
“We are very excited about the possibility of bringing electric school buses to San Marcos,” Anthony Shields, director of Transportation for SMCISD, said. “We recognize there are many variables to consider when deciding whether to go electric. The CSBP will help tremendously in offsetting the cost of an electric school bus and complete charging stations and infrastructure. We recognize the cost to sustain electric buses are far more expensive than the traditional bus we are all used to, and we are working through determining what our options are to move forward with our partnership with Highland Electric whether that be buying buses outright or leasing.”
Shields said that the cost of an electric school bus is $375,000 and the electric charging stations cost $75,000 each.
SMCISD partnered with Highland Fleets in August of 2022 to secure funding and operational support for its fleet electrification. Highland is responsible for the largest electric school bus deployment in the United States, providing electrification to schools and municipal fleets across North America that have collectively traveled over 1 million electric miles.
Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) said that this was part of millions of dollars from the federal grant for school buses in Congressional District 35 including Austin and San Antonio ISDs.
“I’m extremely proud that school districts across Texas Congressional District 35, including Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD, San Marcos CISD, and San Antonio ISD, will be receiving EPA’s Clean School Bus Awards,” Congressman Greg Casar (TX35), said. “Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma that can harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. This money from the Biden Administration will help our school districts purchase electric and clean school buses to better-serve students in the heart of Texas.”
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds clean school buses, including electric buses, compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane buses that produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
