The Board of Education is looking to bring a new fleet of electric school buses to New Haven.
The board voted 5 – 0 on Dec. 21 at a special meeting held on Zoom to have the school district’s current bus contractor, First Student, apply on its behalf for a grant under the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program.
The district has a commitment to get its bus fleet to full electrification by 2030 as stated in a Climate Emergency Resolution adopted in Sept 2022. The resolution was originally put forward by the New Haven Climate Movement.
Thomas Breen photo
Thomas Lamb.
Before the vote, board members thanked local climate activists including students and city Executive Director of Climate & Sustainability Steve Winter for advocating for more eco-friendly transportation services.
The board asked First Student to put in the application even though the grant would extend beyond the company’s current contract.
“First Student is entering into the end of its one-year contract and, having discussions with First Student, they are willing to work with NHPS in any way that they can,” NHPS Chief Operating Officer Thomas Lamb wrote in a memo presented to the board before the vote.
“This Rebate Grant period will extend beyond the existing First Student contract. This creates considerable uncertainty in who will provide services to NHPS in the future and how will bus electrification fit into that service, especially considering that NHPS does not have ownership of its fleet. A migration of the approximately 350 fleet vehicles at the current diesel rate of $95,000 each would be an investment of $33,250,000. Electric vehicles that are not part of a vehicle exchange program similar to this grant exceed $325,000 each, including charging infrastructure costs. An investment into 10% or 35 electric buses would have a cost of $11,375,000 to NHPS. These would not include maintenance and operation costs that would need to be included as part of the NHPS Transportation Services Contract.”
Click here to read the full memo.
Schools spokesperson Justin Harmon was asked if the bus grant will affect the district’s plan to rebid its bus contract by the end of First Student’s current one year contract that will last until June 30.
“The Board of Education voted to express support for First Student’s application. Regardless of the letter of support, NHPS will host an open RFP process for all transportation providers who can meet our requirements,” he responded.
“The RFP for the NHPS transportation contract will require that, within six months of the start of the contract, the successful vendor will provide NHPS with a plan to get its bus fleet to full electrification by 2030. That requirement will apply to any and all vendors who submit proposals. The federal electrification grants will be awarded by lottery. The NHPS RFP process will conclude before that lottery is held, removing any potential advantage for any vendor in the process.”