The cover story this month features Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent Crystal Hill as she discusses what it takes to drive an entire district towards success. Read more about the new GM and VP of IC Bus as well as articles on technological upgrades, AI & predictive technology, benefits of using a third-party contractor plus more on the unclear future of electric school buses and clean energy funding.

Read the full April 2025 issue.

Cover Story

Breaking Barriers & Navigating Uncharted Territory
Crystal Hill, the superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina, shares how she started her career in education, her perspective on the importance of student transportation, and the potential impacts of cuts in federal funding.

Features

Seeing Into The Future
AI and predictive technology hold many promises for student transportation professionals, especially those in charge of servicing school buses and ensuring optimum uptime.

The Steps To A Technology Upgrade
Upgrading technology comes with many questions such as staying with the same provider and looking at expanded features. Directors weigh in on the items and processes they value most.

Who, What, When, Where and Why?
While contracting operations isn’t for every school district, those that use third-party services discover the benefits of technology and safety equipment adoption, cost savings and vehicle variety.

Special Reports

Passing the Torch
Charles Chilton has big shoes to fill as the new GM and VP of IC Bus. But his experience as a school bus driver and engineer are proof he is more than up to the task.

Clean School Bus Program
School districts are left wading in the deep end of regulatory and funding uncertainty, especially when it comes to purchasing new electric school buses under the EPA’s Clean School Bus program.

Feedback
Online
Ad Index

Editor’s Take by Ryan Gray
Moving Target

Publisher’s Corner by Tony Corpin
Building an Elite School Transportation Team

The post April 2025 appeared first on School Transportation News.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in school transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 14 electric school buses in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. This new deployment builds on a strong relationship between Tacoma’s Student Transportation Services and First Student, who currently provide around 5,000 students with daily school bus transportation.

The electric school buses will complement the school district’s existing fleet and uphold First Student’s key values of innovation and sustainability, representing a step toward a cleaner future for students who rely on school transportation every day. This initiative reinforces Tacoma Public Schools and First Student’s shared commitment to safe, reliable and forward-thinking transportation solutions.

Thanks to funding through the Washington State Department of Ecology for three buses and the US EPA Clean School Bus Program round two for 11 buses, the electric buses will offer a large benefit to students by providing a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. Electric buses require less maintenance and cut fuel costs, allowing Tacoma Public Schools to reinvest those savings into educational initiatives, classroom resources, and student enrichment programs.

“Our ongoing partnership with Tacoma Public Schools reflects our commitment to building a cleaner, healthier future for the communities we serve,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student. “As the industry leader with the most electric buses deployed in North America, we are proud to drive over five million students daily and have already logged nearly six million electric miles. At First Student, one of our core values is to care for students. Electric buses help us meet that goal by providing a smoother, quieter ride that helps students start their day focused and ready to learn.”

“Tacoma Public Schools is committed to making environmentally responsible decisions that benefit both our students and the community,” said Josh Garcia, superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools. “Partnering with First Student allows us to enhance our transportation services while reducing our carbon footprint, creating a more sustainable, safe and efficient future for our students and the environment. This initiative aligns with our strategic goals by improving health and safety through cleaner air, enhancing operational efficiency with modernized transportation, and strengthening partnerships that support student success. Investing in sustainable solutions ensures a safe learning environment that promotes academic achievement and well-being for all students.”

At a joint celebratory event held today, officials including Tacoma Public School Board Member Elizabeth Bonbright, Director of Transportation Zachary Midles, Clean Air Agency CEO Chrissy Cooley, Tacoma Public Utilities Board Chair John O’Loughlin, and two students from the Science and Math Institute, along with representatives from Pierce County Planning and Public Works, Pierce Transit, Tacoma Education Dream Fund, and the Washington State Department of Ecology and Air Quality Program touted the long-term, measurable benefits of electric school buses on our youth and gave community members the chance to ride in an electric school bus and feel the difference for themselves.

About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.

The post First Student Partners with Tacoma Public Schools to Introduce New Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

School bus manufacturing leadership has seen a flurry of activity over the past six months. True to form, Thomas Built Buses looked within the Daimler Truck North America family for its next president and CEO to succeed Kevin Bangston, who now leads Daimler Truck Financial Services. T.J. Reed got his start at Daimler Truck in September 1998 and has spent 19 years total with the company, and nearly another six years spent at Meritor heading its global electrification as well as front drive train businesses. He was tapped in October to lead Thomas.

“It feels like five, six years already, and that’s been a good thing,” he told School Transportation News last month. “Early on, I had my first trade shows. I was blown away [by] how the entire industry was really on the same page, not only the camaraderie and the spirit of working together [but] on a common mission. But it was OE’s, suppliers, districts, contractors really just loving what they do and being passionate about school buses. That’s rubbed off. And you can’t help but feel that when you’re in High Point at Thomas.”

Thomas would not comment on potential tariff impact, but the American Trucking Associations’ outlook is a potential price increases of up to $35,000 for a heavy-duty truck, granted those are made in Mexico whereas Thomas is not.

Meanwhile, Reed said employees are “pumping out” high-quality school buses every single day and benefitting from increased investment to accomplish the job. In July, the manufacturer announced its new Saf-T-Liner HDX2 school bus and moving production to the C2 SafT-Liner plant in Archdale, North Carolina, for increased efficiency and quality.

He also discussed the HDX2 as well as efficiency improvements to the second-generation Jouley electric school bus, the continued role of diesel, and more.

The following transcript was edited for clarity and space.

STN: Talk about why Thomas chose the Accelera e-axle to power the latest Jouley.

TJ Reed: I think the biggest thing, Ryan, and when you look at it, I would say the technical concept or the promise of an e-axle is you’re not only increasing performance from an efficiency perspective, you’re lowering the weight, you’re improving packaging. It’s ideally suited for school bus, even a last mile item. If you think about it, you’re taking a lot of components that are inside the frame rails that add a lot of weight, and you’re basically collapsing it down inside the housing of a carrier. And you got your traditional axle, you’ve got your motor and your transmission all in a compact space, and
that frees up a lot of room for batteries to be placed in between the rails, and you can shorten the wheelbase. That had been some of the challenges with the early generations. You were pretty restricted on the variation of the product. And as we know, school buses are pretty custom. So, this just opens up a lot of flexibility. And the other great thing is this continued maturity of components. The product’s been out in the market for a while, been operating in a heavy-truck configuration. We know it’ll live in the life cycle and certainly Cummins/Accelera is a great partner. They have a lot of resources and know-how. All those things come together. It could be just a much better experience for the districts and the bus operators. Just another step in the progression. This is great to see it come to market now.

STN: We have seen some electric school bus market consolidation recently. What is Thomas’ perspective on ramping up production to meet demand? How is Thomas positioning itself to meet that demand?

Reed: It’s a long-term play. As we like to say, we’re leading with the long view. At the end of day, school bus is the ideal duty cycle when you got majority of ranges under 100 miles a day. You’ve got overnight charging in the depot. You’ve got a lot of stop and go for regenerative braking. It’s ideally set so that it is specific to school buses. But you know, part of Daimler, globally we serve markets all around the world and want to lead in this space. With that, we work with a lot of different partners, from battery partners, drive systems, accessories, financial services. It’s a significant investment for our dealers as well. [Daimler has] continued to invest, like in the Greenlane [charging station joint venture]. Those things take time to put in place, and you don’t make investments on short-term plays. This is a long-term play, and this is an area that we think is going to be not only the right thing to do for our environment, for our communities, but it’s going to be the right long-term play for our customers from an efficiency and certainly from a health and community perspective, especially on school buses.

That’s why it’s important we have what I would call our core business based upon internal combustion engines. That generates the cash flow that allows us to invest in a lot of this technology. We’ve got, I would say, that very phased approach, where we install, we learn, we adapt, we perfect, we continue to move forward. That’s not only just with us, that’s with our customers, as we learn how to put these new vehicles in applications that they hadn’t been in before. We’ve been doing internal combustion engines for over 100 years, and that was always changing and evolving. So, there’s nothing different here. But it’s nice, too, from a Daimler perspective, we have the global toolbox, that know-how. There are components and systems that we can use that work for us in a school bus application, some that don’t. So, we have that optionality to really work with a lot of different partners, including ourselves. That gives us a lot of capability.

STN: We’ll get back to diesel in a moment. Obviously, range is a challenge with electric school buses. But infrastructure has been named by many as the biggest challenge to adoption and scalability. Does that continue to be the number one obstacle? Are there others?

Reed: We have a kind of famous calculation that we always talk about in the marketplace. You’ve got to have infrastructure readiness. You’ve got to have a vehicle that’s ready. Then, you’ve got to have basically the economics from a TCO of operation. If any one of those factors is zero, the calculation is zero. And certainly, we’re still in the very early days of infrastructure. So, for us to get to the point where we’re going to start to scale and see higher volumes, we’ve got to have infrastructure certainly coming in at a much greater pace. That’s not just only for school buses, that’s commercial vehicles, that’s passenger cars, that’s everything, in general. I think that theme hasn’t changed. We’ve seen investment, we’ve seen partnerships, but those need to continue to scale up. Then the second part of the equation is, we ’ve got the vehicles. They’re ready. They’re performing in the market today, and they’re getting better and better every day. And as they do that, that’s going to increase volume. As volume increases, that’s going to start to bring the cost down to help with the TCO parity. All those three things need to line up, and infrastructure remains the biggest challenge, not just in the school bus industry but really across the board.

STN: What role has the EPA Clean School Bus Program played in terms of pricing electric school buses compared to supply chain congestion?

Reed: There’s certainly circular logic when it comes to supply and demand in how that impacts costs. I would say this, from a technology development what we’re looking to do in our longterm plans [is] for component systems that drive down costs, that are getting, I would say better performance, more range. The reality is, in the near-term, those are still very low volume systems, and you know that at the end day that battery-electric
vehicles will be significantly more expensive than internal combustion engines from a
scale perspective. There was the [viewpoint] that battery cell cost was going to start to come down, and then you really saw the supply chain crunch… I would say commodities that go into battery development spiked. So, prices went up. We were dealing with that. And now, too, it is absolutely true in these early days [that] funding is critically important to kind of drive the early development of those early adopters. And as that either steps down or is removed, then the cost obviously goes up, and that then kind of lowers volume. I wouldn’t say it’s going to stop our progress, but it will certainly have an impact and slow it. But again, we see it as a long-term view, that it’s not an if, it’s a when. Now that one, I can’t tell you, but it’s still a situation where we probably got to have the infrastructure coming back in. There’s got to be some level of subsidies for that. In the meantime, we’re all working in unison to bring better technology to market at a lower cost, so that takes time to do, collectively.

STN: We’ve also seen an industry trend toward bigger electric school buses. Do you have any plans that you’re willing to talk about as to an eventual electric HDX2?

Reed: I’ll foreshadow this. Some great news is coming. But what I would tell you is we absolutely see the need in the market. We absolutely see the need in our product portfolio, and we have some great solutions, so stay tuned.

STN: Daimler Trucks North American recently added investment into Detroit Diesel, and the California Air Resources Board ceased seeking additional federal waivers to fully implement its Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule for heavy-duty trucks. How do these developments impact the school bus market?

Reed: The Detroit Diesel investment, that’s more for our heavy-duty products, more on the truck side. Everything that we do on the school bus is medium range. That’s Cummins, our partner there. When you look at that, just in terms of diesel, we believe you need all types because the applications are so vast, that the use cases are so different that you need a lot of different technologies to drive to zero emissions. Diesel has a critical role to play. And you’re right, with a lot of investment not only by us in our proprietary engines but our partners from Cummins and our competitors as well, it is continuing to lower emissions. You’ve got GHG phase three that will be coming in 2027. There’s additional tailpipe reductions. All those are being engineered into our buses now. I mean significantly lower NOx and particulate matter, even over the last 10 years. These are much cleaner running engines today. There are requirements, yes, for the ACT rule, where in some states, in order to be able to sell internal combustion engines, you have to have a certain number of battery electric. But that’s been, I would say, one of the success stories of the Clean School Bus Program. It’s seeded enough diesel capability or opportunity in some of these states, we haven’t had an issue with that. Diesel is going to continue to play a role as well as other modes of propulsion. We’re invested in all.

STN: And in terms of gasoline or octane, Thomas is also coming out with an option provided by Cummins in 2026 or 2027.

Reed: We’re making investments across different modes of propulsion, different emissions technologies. You’ve got to have answers for all your customers, no matter what their duty cycle is. And octane, you know, gasoline will play a big role for that. We’re excited about that as well.

STN: Thank you

Editor’s Note: As reprinted in the March 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

Related: (STN Podcast E251) Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses
Related: The Tricky Part About Electric School Buses: Planning and Paying For the ‘Fueling’ Infrastructure
Related: Are you forecasting to purchase more diesel school buses this upcoming cycle than previously planned?
Related: Future of Electric School Bus Funding Remains Unknown, Warns Expert

The post Thomas’ Reed Outlines Focus on Fuel, Power Options Based on Customer Duty Cycle appeared first on School Transportation News.

CONCORD, N.C. — More questions than answers currently exist on what the funding future of clean school buses will look like, following program cuts, elimination of EV mandates, and executive orders from the Trump administration.

Joe Annotti, the vice president of incentives for TRC Clean Transportation Solutions, attempted to provide some clarity in “an era of deregulation” on Sunday during STN EXPO East in Charlotte. He noted that despite the belief stated by media that President Donald Trump is making unprecedented changes and reevaluations of agencies and programs, the actions are normal. Annotti relayed that presidents come in all the time, stop and relook at programs, before funds get flowing again.

He referenced 2005, when former President Goerge Bush altered federal grant structures to states by moving to “blocks,” and when former President Barack Obama immediately cut 5 percent of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) operating budget.

What is unprecedented, however, is the amount of funding being allocated to school buses, primarily clean school buses. That, by way of the Clean School Bus Program, is now in peril.

Meanwhile, Annotti said there are currently over 700 clean transportation state and local incentive programs. Of those, 124 could fund school bus projects, whereas 26 prioritize or exclusively fund school bus projects. He said $3 billion is available from the combined 124 programs, yet more than half of that ($1.8 billion) funds the 26 school bus eligible programs.

In his opinion, he said those 26 programs are the ones on the Trump administration’s chopping block.

“Gone are the days for the flat rate voucher incentives,” he said, adding there’s a renewed focus on cost-effectiveness. Federal programs covering 80 percent of the cost of the bus is probably a thing of the past.

Of the 124 programs that could fund school buses, 25 are exclusive to battery-electric and 50 of them are located in California, he added.

He discussed expectations, such as federal agencies may terminate award programs that no longer effectuate goals or agency priorities. He noted that multiple grant programs across agencies are cancelled or modified or modified.

Annotti answered attendee questions and said that in terms of the EPA Clean School Bus Program funding, rounds 3 and 4 are where he sees disruptions. Round 1, he said, is done. Round 2 awards were issued, and most are under a contractual agreement, which he said leads him to believe they are safe.

Round 3 has not yet been awarded, and the EPA has not yet issued funding decisions, which may never happen, he noted. He said Round 4, which was supposed to be announced later this year or early next, is not on his funding calendar at all.

He clarified that if the program is cut, projects would be funded up until the day that announcement is made. Any purchases made prior to a decision would still be funded.

As for the possibility of manufacturers raising their school bus prices due to the impending Trump tariffs, he said the EPA won’t allocate more award funds than called for in the original contract agreement.

Related: Blog: The State of Green School Buses
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Annotti advised attendees to assess what stage in the federal reward process they are in, whether they’ve actually won award, if they’ve spent federal money, or they’re in the process of purchasing. He advised fleets to act cautiously, as money is not guaranteed, adding that when writing grants fleets need to recognize the changed priorities and tailor their message to the audience.

“Change your tune when asking for funding,” he said, noting that attendees need to consider how their proposed project is benefiting the EPA’s latest priorities. “Match with what they need to hear, not what you want to say.”

He said current unpopular topics with the feds include: Regulations, DEI/community engagement, and renewable energy. Popular topics include: Tariffs, deregulation, economic development and fossil fuels.

TRC is hosting the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo next month in Anaheim, California. School Transportation News is an official media sponsor of the event.

The post Future of Electric School Bus Funding Remains Unknown, Warns Expert appeared first on School Transportation News.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – First Student, the leader in student transportation and electrification, today announced the deployment of 16 electric school buses in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools. This deployment, made possible through funding from the first round of the US EPA Clean School Bus Program, marks an important milestone in the shared commitment to provide safe, reliable and innovative transportation solutions for students. By embracing innovation and investing in the future, First Student and Pittsburgh Public Schools are setting a new standard for student transportation, one that prioritizes progress, sustainability and the well-being of every student served.

The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest in Allegheny County and second largest in Pennsylvania, serving nearly 20,000 students daily. Starting immediately, the district’s new electric school buses are delivering a cleaner, quieter and safer ride while protecting student health and improving their daily transportation experience. With their quiet operation, electric school buses also reduce noise pollution, creating a calmer and more focused start to the school day.

“Partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools to deploy these electric school buses is a big step forward in reducing emissions and prioritizing student health and safety,” said John Kenning, CEO and President of First Student. “With nearly 450 electric school buses in our fleet and nearly six million electric miles driven, we are not just transporting students to school; we’re setting the highest standard by helping build a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for the Pittsburgh community. Every child deserves a safe, welcoming and trusted environment on their way to and from school, and that starts with us.”

In addition to improving student health, electric school buses are also a smart financial investment for school districts. With fewer moving parts than diesel buses, they require less maintenance and fewer repairs, saving districts money in the long term. By cutting fuel and maintenance costs, Pittsburgh Public Schools can redirect savings toward what matters most: educational programs, classroom resources and student enrichment.

“Every day, thousands of students in the City of Pittsburgh rely on school buses to get to and from school,” said Dr. Wayne N. Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. “The addition of electric buses, allow us to take an important step toward a cleaner, quieter and safer ride, protecting student health and enhancing their daily experience.”

Today’s celebration also featured a ride-along in an electric school bus provided by First Student. Attendees at the event included Pittsburgh Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak, Pittsburgh School Board President Gene Walker, Representative Summer Lee (PA-12), DaVonn Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator and Constituent Services Manager from the Office of District 8, as well as representatives from Moms Clean Air Force and Duquesne Light Company.

About First Student:
As North America’s leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student provides unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services. Its fleet includes about 45,000 buses.

The post First Student and Pittsburgh Public Schools Roll Out 16 New Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

Analysis on NAPT‘s new three-point, lap-shoulder seatbelt recommendation, the New York City Department of Education’s large technology RFP, and hands-on school bus emergency training in Texas.

Participate in more discussions about safety and technology at STN EXPO Charlotte and STN EXPO Reno, which both include the Bus Technology Summit and the Green Bus Summit.

“We’re not looking for a buyer, we’re looking for a partner.” Jason Yan, vice president of sales at RIDE Mobility, discusses how battery safety and development enhances electric school bus operation and range.

Read more about operations.

This episode is brought to you by Transfinder.

Conversation with Ride.

Stream, subscribe and download the School Transportation Nation podcast on Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube.

The post (STN Podcast E251) Making Safety Safer: Seatbelts, Technology, Training & Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

Yellow continues to go green as school districts across the country modernize fleets with the latest alternative fuel technologies, to support cleaner air for students and the neighborhoods where they live. Through expanded offerings in bio- and renewable diesel, ultra-clean propane and natural gas, and battery electric offerings that eliminate tailpipe exhaust, owners and operators have options to support their sustainability initiatives in an economic fashion.

From traditional bus manufacturers to startups and new market entrants, manufacturers are offering near- or zero-emission school buses and showing no signs of slowing down. Shifting incentives and regulatory landscapes have not dimmed the prospect of the school bus industry’s clean transportation future.

The Changing Chess Board of School Bus Manufacturers

Original equipment manufacturers like Blue Bird, IC Bus, Thomas Built Buses, Collins and Micro Bird offer diversified product portfolios, including options for near-zero and zero-emission school buses. Market competition, specifically in the all-electric space, has increased with companies like RIDE, GreenPower Motor and others entering the market with zero-emission solutions.

Up until last year, trends showed that the silver bullet solution of zero emissions would be the favored choice for the school bus market. Indeed, many schools have successfully deployed battery electric fleets and are having favorable operational results. However, recent economic, political and customer demand changes have started telling a different story — diversified product lines give consumers the flexibility to find the right solution.

One of the most telling signs for electric vehicles was the slate of bankruptcy announcements, from onetime industry darlings like Lion Electric on the school bus side and Nikola Corporation on the heavy-duty truck side. Further, the fate of unprocessed orders and recently delivered assets — and the deleterious impacts of grant funding pauses — would seem to indicate that a diversification in product offerings could be a viable risk mitigation strategy during times of market uncertainty.

Incentive Structures Expected to Change for School Buses

The EPA’s Clean Schol Bus (CSB) Program has served as the primary incentive for alternative fuel school buses over the last three years. Indeed, since 2022, CSBP funding has supported over 1,300 school districts to deploy over 9,000 alternative fuel school buses. The Diesel Emissions Reduction Program (DERA) has also funded more than 3,000 clean diesel and alternative fuel school buses since 2012.

Though many diesel replacement funding programs across the country use cost-effectiveness to evaluate projects and funding levels, the school bus market has often seen a flat rate or voucher-style incentive. Most recently, the EPA set the voucher for battery electric buses at more than $300,000 per unit. With increased scrutiny on federal incentives and their effectiveness, the incentives landscape will likely move away from these flat rate structures.

Beyond the EPA’s initiatives, several states have prioritized the transition to diesel alternatives by creating grant programs that offset the upfront investment for the buses and required infrastructure. California’s most recent incentive, the Zero Emission School Buses and Infrastructure (ZESBI) Program, aligns with similar initiatives in Colorado, New Jersey, and New York that promote all-electric options. Michigan, too, prioritizes clean school buses, though its program includes eligibility for all-electric and near-zero emission options. In total, these state-level programs may drive as much as $1 billion in aggregate incentives to the alternative fuel school bus market.

Aligning with President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the focus on domestic energy, several alternative fuels seem primed to gain (or perhaps regain) momentum — renewable diesel/biodiesel, natural gas, and propane. Hardly a new technology, propane in particular has served as a clean transportation industry stalwart for decades, lauded by its fleet adopters for its ability to provide affordable, efficient, and accessible clean transportation. More and more school districts, businesses and transit agencies may review the viability of these domestically produced alternative fuel options as a means of affordably diversifying fuel supply.

Shifting the Lens: Finding Market Drivers in a New Administration

The slate of recent executive orders has introduced a new set of agendas, initiatives and motivators. While the market continues to absorb and assess the potential implications, one element stands out in stark contrast, the short-term funding landscape holds plenty of uncertainties. From the status of existing EPA programs to the planned use of funds from the Investing in Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, there is still much to understand about where future federal funding may come from for alternative fuel school buses. However, as noted above, state funding programs offer a viable solution.

Beyond incentives, additional motivators for going green include regulatory mandates and carbon credit programs. In California, Assembly Bill 579 requires school districts to purchase zero-emission buses starting in 2035, and other states such as New York and Washington have proposed or approved similar measures. The portfolio of states with carbon credit programs grew from three to four with the addition of New Mexico.

Now, New Mexico as well as California, Washington and Oregon are generating revenue for fleet operators and creating additional interest in battery electric projects.

Final Thoughts

America’s yellow school buses have made considerable strides to improve performance, air quality and safety, and these trends are expected to continue well into the future. Challenges and opportunities abound though, as market drivers, political and policy motivations, and sustainability trends continue to shift. Upcoming announcements at the Federal and state levels will be telling as to how the school bus market will need to adjust priorities and continue the adoption of alternative fuel technologies.

Upcoming Events

Trying to stay on top of the changing policy and funding landscape? Look to STN’s events over the next few months as well as ACT Expo as critical opportunities to hear directly from funding agencies, fellow school districts deploying alternative fuel buses, and manufacturing partners. ACT Expo, the largest advanced commercial vehicle technology showcase in North America, offers just that, a four-day conference bringing together the leading alternative fuel manufacturers, infrastructure providers and fleet operators. Editor’s note – School Transportation News is an official media sponsor of ACT Expo.

ACT Expo, which returns to Anaheim, California, this spring, will host a school bus sector session on April 30 for transportation directors to learn more about this ever-changing landscape. STN EXPO’s Green Bus Summits, occurring in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 23-24 and in Reno, Nevada on July 13-14, offer similar content around policy and incentives.

Joe Annotti is the senior vice president of incentives for the TRC Clean Transportation Solutions, the organizer of ACT EXPO. He presents the session “State of Green Schools Buses” at STN EXPO East in on March 23.

The post The State of Green School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

LISLE, Ill. – International Motors, LLC (International) and IC Bus, LLC (IC Bus) are proud to announce that First Light Illuminated School Bus Signs (ISBS) and Fully Illuminated Stop Arms (FISA) are now standard on the Next Generational IC Bus Electric CE Series School Buses.

Effective immediately, the ISBS and FISA options are available for factory install on all IC Bus school bus models currently on order and will be standard on all new Electric CE Series school bus orders moving forward. That standard position will expand to internal combustion engine CE Series unit orders in August 2025.

These First Light products provide uncompromised visibility, assisting IC Bus in its efforts to offer innovative features that lead to safer bus stops. Adding these First Light products to the existing standard safety systems and technologies provides another valuable tool for customers who own and operate IC Bus vehicles throughout North America.

“Safely transporting the children of our communities is a responsibility that IC Bus takes incredibly seriously. When IC Bus introduced the Next Generation of the CE Series in July 2023, it was clear that safety was our number one priority,” said Charles Chilton, Vice President and General Manager of IC Bus. “The improved driver visibility and dash-integrated safety systems were just a step in the journey. Making these First Light products standard equipment was a natural progression, considering their visibility impacts.”

First Light’s ISBS and FISA products have proven to greatly reduce stop arm violations by enhancing motorists’ recognition and reaction times as they approach a stopped school bus. Both the ISBS and FISA are visible beyond 1,000 feet and readable beyond 300 feet, giving oncoming motorists additional visibility and time to stop appropriately.

About International:
Based in Lisle, Illinois, International Motors, LLC* creates solutions that deliver greater uptime and productivity to our customers throughout the full operation of our commercial vehicles. We build International trucks and engines and IC Bus school and commercial buses that are as tough and as smart as the people who drive them. We also develop Fleetrite aftermarket parts. In everything we do, our vision is to accelerate the impact of sustainable mobility to create the cleaner, safer world we all deserve. As of 2021, we joined Scania, MAN and Volkswagen Truck & Bus in TRATON GROUP, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry. To learn more, visit www.International.com.

*International Motors, LLC is d/b/a International Motors USA LLC in Illinois, Ohio, and Utah.

The post IC Bus’ Next Generation CE Series Standardizes Next Generation Illumination appeared first on School Transportation News.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With the latest announcement of $33 million in awards, California’s Clean Mobility Options Voucher Program (CMO) has invested more than $66 million in under-resourced communities and tribes to address mobility gaps and reduce air pollution.

The CMO program addresses two major problems in California: air pollution and the lack of clean transportation options for low-income or disadvantaged communities. Projects funded by the program must directly benefit residents of a low-income community or a disadvantaged community.

“For many awardees, this will be a first-of-its-kind mobility project to be funded and launched in their community,” said California Air Resources Board Executive Officer Dr. Steven Cliff. “Clean Mobility Options was designed around the belief that these communities should receive the highest sustained investments toward safe, efficient, affordable, reliable, and clean transportation options that connect them to the places they need to thrive.”

Tackling transportation emissions is important to achieving California’s air quality targets, especially for low-income Californians that disproportionately live on the frontlines of sources of pollution. The funds tackle emissions reductions while also increasing access to cleaner transportation options for underserved communities.

“California is taking a holistic approach to helping communities access equitable, accessible clean transportation options,” said Hannon Rasool, director of the California Energy Commission’s Fuels and Transportation Division. “Community-based transportation equity projects like CMO are meeting community transportation needs as seen and interpreted by those who live there.”

The Mobility Project Voucher provides communities the funding and project support needed to launch a clean, shared mobility project to address their unique transportation challenges. Supported modes of transportation include:

On-demand shuttles, vans, and buses
Traditional fixed route transit services – like school buses
Bikesharing and scooter-sharing
Carpooling and vanpooling
Electric carsharing
On-demand rideshare services – similar to those provided by Uber or Lyft

Latest Awards:
In this latest funding round, the CMO program announced $33 million in new funds for California nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments:

$12.5 million for new, general funding recipients
$3 million for eligible tribal governments
$7.5 million for first-round Community Transportation Needs Assessment (CTNA) awardees
$10 million set aside for first-round Mobility Project Vouchers

To learn more about the funded projects, visit the 2023 Mobility Project Voucher Awardees and Applicants.

The response to the second voucher application round shows a strong demand and need for this funding. While only 17 new communities received funds this round, 85 applicants requested as much as $1.5 million each.

CARB also recently announced awards of over $42 million to Clean Mobility in Schools (CMIS) and the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) to support community-led projects in disadvantaged and low-income communities in California. See the full press release. CMO, CMIS, and STEP are part of CARB’s Sustainable Community-Based Transportation Equity Projects.

About California Climate Investments
CMO is funded by California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment—particularly in underserved communities.

About Clean Mobility Options:
CMO is designed to fill transportation gaps in under-resourced regions and cut climate and air pollution. The program provides the funding, resources and support to local communities so they can lead in developing their unique mobility solutions that are cleaner, more affordable, and more accessible than what’s currently available.

In addition to providing Mobility Project Voucher funding the program also offers community transportation needs assessment vouchers for communities to analyze their transportation system and to identify the specific needs of residents. The program also features extensive technical support starting from the application process and extending through project launch and beyond. Each project is assigned a dedicated technical assistance team member to address challenges, provide guidance, and offer ongoing support.

About CEC’s Clean Transportation Program:
CMO is also funded by California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program. CEC’s Clean Transportation Program is investing more than $1 billion to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission transportation infrastructure and support in-state manufacturing and workforce training and development.

The post $33 Million Awarded for Mobility Projects Such as Electric Vehicle Carsharing, Electric Bike-Sharing, and Electric School Buses appeared first on School Transportation News.

A recent study conducted for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) claims that electric school buses (ESBs) are not only viable but also advantageous in Montana’s harsh winter conditions.

The study published last September by clean energy nonprofit VEIC evaluated all 17 ESBs that are currently operating across six school districts: Bigfork, Billings, Clinton, East Helena, Fairfield, and Havre. The findings indicate significant fuel cost savings, reliable performance in subzero temperatures, and positive feedback from both drivers and transportation managers.

A Montana DEQ spokesperson told School Transportation News the agency partially funded 11 of the 17 ESBs studied. The EPA Clean School Bus Program also provided funding.

One of the primary concerns regarding electric vehicles in Montana is their performance during severe winter weather. The study found that ESBs operated effectively even when temperatures dropped to 25 degrees below zero. While vehicle efficiency decreased by up to 40 percent in such extreme cold, the buses consistently met the required daily route distances. Notably, the study said ESBs demonstrated more reliable start-up performance compared to diesel buses, which often face challenges like fuel gelling in low temperatures.

Brian Picariello, the principal consultant and clean transportation lead at VEIC, emphasized the efficiency of electric school buses in extreme weather.

“One major takeaway from the study was that, on average, the electric school buses were almost four times more efficient than the diesel alternative,” he told STN. “The buses also had sufficient range to complete their assigned routes, even under extreme cold and hot conditions. In fact, during a significant cold front, the temperature dipped more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, and the diesel buses at one agency had to be taken out of service while the electric buses continued operation, albeit with a 30- to 40-percent range reduction.”

Havre Public Schools near the U.S-Canada border launched its electric school bus program in late 2022, putting two Lion C electric buses into service by early 2023. Allen “Woody” Woodwick, the district’s fleet manager, said skepticism was high at the start of the program.

“There was a lot of people that said you couldn’t run electrics up in Montana, so that was somewhat of a challenge,” Woodwick told Montana Public Radio earlier this month. “And it looks like we’ve been proving the simple fact is yes, we can.”

He shared with STN that the Lion ESBs “have been largely problem-free,” but he added that obtaining parts and service has been an ongoing issue, largely due to Havre’s remote location in north-central Montana.

“The few service techs they had were nowhere near Montana. They were expecting to expand but other issues arose,” Woodrick continued. “So, we plan on running the buses as we have been and figure out the challenges as they come, and source our parts from the suppliers or manufacturers.”

Other Montana school districts that participated in the study include Bigfork (one Lion C), Clinton (two Lion Cs) East Helena (one Lion C), Fairfield (three Lion Cs), and Billings (eight IC Bus CEs), with all buses deployed between January 2023 and January 2024.

Related: Lion Electric Defaults on Credit Repayment, Says It is Avoiding Bankruptcy

The transition to electric buses has also resulted in notable cost savings. Each ESB averaged $1,575 in annual fuel savings compared to traditional diesel buses. Additionally, maintenance costs are expected to decrease over time due to the simpler mechanics of electric drivetrains, which have fewer moving parts and do not require oil changes or exhaust system repairs, the study noted.

However, the study highlighted that per-mile energy costs could vary, with fleets subject to utility demand charges seeing energy costs twice as high as those without such fees. This discrepancy emphasizes the role of local utility pricing structures in determining the overall cost-effectiveness of ESBs. According to VEIC’s full report, understanding these factors is critical for districts considering electrification.

Beyond economic advantages, the adoption of electric buses contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. ESBs produce zero tailpipe emissions, leading to improved air quality for students and the community. Even when accounting for emissions from electricity generation, the overall environmental footprint of ESBs is significantly smaller than that of diesel buses.

Picariello noted that even with the use of auxiliary diesel heaters in winter months, ESBs significantly reduced emissions compared to diesel buses.

“The buses in this study with auxiliary heaters, maintained efficiency and range during winter months better than buses in previous studies,” he explained, citing the example of NREL’s 2022 report on electric transit buses in Duluth, Minnesota. “Although the significance was not assessed directly, it does seem likely that the auxiliary fuel heaters allowed the buses to continue operating efficiently at extreme temperatures compared to buses that use electric resistance elements for cabin heating.”

Meanwhile, transportation managers and drivers have reported positive experiences with the new electric buses, according to the study. Drivers noted better acceleration and quieter operation, enhancing the overall transportation environment. Despite a slightly lower top speed compared to diesel buses, the performance of ESBs has met the daily operational needs of the districts.

Picariello emphasized the enthusiasm among drivers and school managers.

“We were also pleasantly surprised to hear how much drivers and school managers loved the experience once they were trained and got used to the new equipment,” he said. “It’s promising to hear that on-road performance across driving conditions met or exceeded that of internal combustion alternatives. It was also encouraging to hear all the folks who manage these fleets year after year would recommend them to other districts in the area.”

Related: New York Gov. Hochul Open to Extending Electric School Bus Mandate
Related: EPA, Treasury Disseminate Electric School Bus Tax Credit Information
Related: Montana School Bus Safety Bills Signed into Law

Regarding reliability, the study reported that ESBs were available for route service 82 percent of the time, compared to 94 percent of the time with diesel buses. The study noted that 72 percent of the out-of-service days for ESBs occurred in a single district. Excluding that district, the remaining ESBs had an availability rate of 93 percent. The primary causes of downtime were related to components outside of the electric drivetrain, highlighting the need for comprehensive maintenance training and support.

While funding is often cited as the primary barrier to widespread ESB adoption, Picariello pointed out additional challenges.

“Funding aside, the main barriers for schools are split in two categories: Infrastructure improvements and change management,” he explained. “Schools often need to work with a local electrician, charging manufacturers, and their utility to make the necessary electrical upgrades for more capacity and install charging equipment, all of which takes a lot of coordination and time and potentially cost.”

Picariello added that early collaboration with utilities is key to overcoming these challenges.

“The sooner a district can engage their local distribution utility to discuss the scope of the work, the better. From there, fleet managers, technicians and drivers need access to expert-level training and support services to help their teams get comfortable with the electric buses and charging infrastructure, like any new technology.”

He emphasized that ensuring contracts with vehicle OEMs and charging manufacturers include sufficient training and support can help districts confidently transition to electric fleets.

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COMPTON, Calif. – Today, the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) and its school transportation provider, Durham School Services (DSS), unveiled the school district’s brand-new fleet of 25 electric school buses and 25 newly-installed Tellus chargers, at a ribbon cutting event. The buses will begin transporting students this spring. At the event, attendees had the opportunity to tour and ride the buses.

Attendees included Lillie P. Darden (Councilwoman – District 4), Hector De La Torre (Executive Director, Gateway Cities Council of Governments), CUSD Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley, CUSD Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Shannon Soto, CUSD Board Members Sandra Moss, Alma Taylor-Pleasant, and Satra Zurita, as well as key partners Highland Electric Fleets and Thomas Built Buses, Southern California Edison, Durham School Services team members, and fellow community members.

The 25 new electric school buses, which consist of 17 Thomas Built Type A and 8 Thomas Built Type C vehicles, mark the start of the school district’s first electric vehicle (EV) endeavor and was made possible thanks to partnerships and support from Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, and Southern California Edison. Funds for the new vehicles were awarded through the first round of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program. Compton Unified School District was also awarded funds by the EPA for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.

“The Compton Unified School District is excited to roll out these incredible EV buses in partnership with Durham and Highland,” said Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees President Micah Ali. “These new buses not only provide for a more sustainable, healthier Compton community, they also serve as an exemplar of innovation and social responsibility for our Compton Scholars.”

“These new electric buses are an investment in our students’ future—providing safe, clean transportation as they pursue their dreams,” said Dr. Darin Brawley, Superintendent of Compton Unified School District. “Just as we are committed to sustainability, we are also committed to academic excellence, ranking #1 in LA County for graduation rates and #1 in the state among comparably sized districts. Compton Unified will continue leading the way to ensure our scholars have every opportunity to succeed.”

“We are able to celebrate this new EV chapter in Durham and CUSD’s deep-rooted 20+year partnership thanks to the EPA grant, and our mutual ambition in driving this transition early. I can’t stress enough about how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO, Durham School Services. “Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to our local team of drivers, technicians, General Manager Wendy, and countless other team members, whom, without, this project would not have been possible or even half as successful. I look forward to seeing the new heights we’ll reach over the next few years as we continue our partnership with CUSD.”

“Compton Unified School District is making a real difference for its students with the launch of its first electric school buses,” said Brian Buccella, Chief Commercial Officer at Highland Electric Fleets. “These buses bring cleaner, quieter, and healthier transportation to the community, which is especially important in a county where 1 in 11 children have asthma. Highland Electric Fleets is proud to be part of this effort, and we look forward to working alongside the CUSD community to continue making a positive impact for students and families.”

In preparation for the new EV buses beginning service this spring, hands-on training sessions for technicians were held in January of this year. The two-day training sessions were led by Durham School Services maintenance leaders, Thomas Built Buses, Highland Electric Fleets, and Optimal EV and covered topics related to EV safety, charging stations, and operations.

About Compton Unified School District: Compton Unified School District, whose Superintendent is Dr. Darin Brawley, is located in the south-central region of Los Angeles County. CUSD encompasses the city of Compton and portions of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles. The district currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. CUSD is a district that is elevating, with a high school graduation rate of 93%, dramatic facilities improvements, 88% college acceptance, and a focus on STEAM throughout all schools. The mission of the Compton Unified School District is to empower leaders to lead, teachers to teach, and students to learn by fostering an environment that encourages leaders and teachers to be visionary, innovative, and accountable for the achievement of all students. CUSD schools have received numerous awards, including Golden Bell Awards, National Blue Ribbon School designations, and Top 10 LA Public Schools by Innovate LA. CUSD is also a member of the League of Innovative Schools. The District’s Superintendent, Dr. Darin Brawley, was named 2019 Superintendent of the Year by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. For more information, visit http://www.compton.k12.ca.us.

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services is dedicated to the safety of our students and People. For more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services has earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities we serve.

About Highland Electric Fleets: Highland Electric Fleets is North America’s leading provider of electrification-as-a-service. Founded in 2019, Highland makes it simple and affordable to transition fleets of all sizes to electric, from school buses to public safety, municipal and commercial vehicles.

Highland led the first use of electric school buses in a commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program and operates the largest electric school bus project in the U.S. With approximately 95% of school buses built in the U.S., the shift to electric drives American innovation, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and creates jobs in communities across the country in addition to reducing emissions and lowering operating costs. Learn more at www.highlandfleets.com.

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VANCOUVER — GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (Nasdaq: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower” and the “Company”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today reported its third quarter fiscal year 2025 results and provided an update on its manufacturing operations.

“GreenPower’s improved third-quarter performance, with $7.2 million in revenue — an increase of 35% over the previous quarter — underscores the demand for our purpose-built, all-electric vehicles. Importantly this growth also resulted in an improvement in our gross profit,” said Fraser Atkinson, CEO of GreenPower. “As we continue scaling our manufacturing operations, GreenPower is well-positioned to drive long-term growth and capitalize on the industry’s rapid shift toward zero-emission fleet solutions. At the end of the quarter we had available funding of more than $5 million consisting of cash, availability on loan facilities and ability to issue letters of credit to finance production of our growing order book.”

GreenPower spent the quarter continuning to increase its output from the West Virginia manufacturing facility. “As a result of the work we did during the quarter, we are now set to deliver one BEAST per week from the South Charleston facility, with the BEAST production increasing to two per week by April plus Nano BEAST production,” said Brendan Riley, GreenPower President. “To support this growth, we’ve strengthened our leadership team with the addition of James Redd as our new West Virginia production manager. Working alongside Vice President of Production Wendell White, James has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for a second shift at the plant, positioning GreenPower to meet rising demand and scale efficiently.”

On the West Coast, GreenPower finalized plans to expand its California manufacturing footprint in one facility located in the Inland Empire. “Consolidating our operations from three separate locations and five different facilities spread out through California to one larger facility will allow for more cost savings and increased efficiency,” Riley stated.

Third Quarter 2025 Highlights:

• Generated revenues of $7.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, an increase of 35% over the previous quarter. Gross profit improved to 14.6% of revenue up from 8.6% for the previous quarter.
• Delivered 13 BEAST Type D all-electric school buses, one Nano BEAST Type A school bus, one EV Star Cargo Plus and 13 EV Star Passenger Vans.
• At the end of the quarter GreenPower had working capital of $12.8 million, an increase of $2.7 million over the previous quarter, and inventory of $28.2 million, consisting of $10.8 million of finished goods, $13.1 million of work-in-process and $4.3 million of parts and components.
• Deferred revenue at the end of the quarter increased to $10.8 million.
• Completed an underwritten offering of 3,000,000 common shares raising gross proceeds of $3 million.

For additional information on the results of operations for the period ended December 31, 2024 review the interim financial statements and related reports posted on GreenPower’s website as well as on www.sedar.com or filed on EDGAR.

Shareholder Call Information
Date: Tuesday February 18, 2025
Time: 6:30 a.m. PST / 9:30 a.m. EST
Participant dial-in: (US) 1-844-739-3982 (Canada); 1-866-605-3852; (International) 1-412-317-5718. Ask to be joined into the GreenPower Motor Company Inc. conference call.
Webcast Link: https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=XkyzR1vx
Replay: (US) 1-877-344-7529; (Canada) 1-855-669-9658; (International) 1-412-317-0088
Replay access code: 5816828

About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo van and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.

The post GreenPower Provides Business Update and Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results appeared first on School Transportation News.

With less than two years remaining before school districts in New York are required to purchase only electric school buses, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is open to delaying the mandate because of increasing challenges.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Hochul was asked by News10NBC if she is considering delaying the law she signed in April 2022.

“Absolutely,” Hochul responded. “We’ve been having many conversations about it. This is, aspirationally, we want this to happen. We also have to take into consideration that their circumstances have changed since this went into law.”

One of the circumstances she noted was the current inability of some school districts to acquire electric school buses, not to mention in 2027. She noted that already $500 million exists in a larger $4.2 billion environmental bond act to alleviate the costs of electric school buses and to help local school districts with the transition.

Related: 79-Year-Old, 9-Year-Old Struck by School Bus in New York
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Related: New York Pushes Forward with Electric School Bus Mandate Despite Opposition
Related: Second Installment of Zero Emission School Bus Funding Available in N.Y
Related: $100M Available for New York Zero-Emissions School Buses as Deadline Nears

“This is not going to be a hard and fast rule because we have to deal with the realities that these school districts are facing,” she Hochul added.

There is already legislation, introduced on Jan. 24, that would alleviate some of the pressure. New York Senate Bill 3328 would authorize school districts to submit an opt-out waiver to the commissioner of education. Authorized districts would receive a permanent exemption from the mandate of zero-emission school buses. A bill died last year would have replaced the electric school bus mandate with a feasibility study.

The law already includes a one-time extension that would allow districts to be granted an additional two years to comply with the 2035 deadline of having fully electric fleets.

The post New York Gov. Hochul Open to Extending Electric School Bus Mandate appeared first on School Transportation News.

While several industry insiders told School Transportation News last week that it was too early to tell the impact of new Trump administration tariffs on imports, Blue Bird representatives told investors to expect a 5-percent price increase on all non-electric school buses.

The company made the statement last week during its fiscal year 2025 first quarter financial results call, which reported the company’s second-best quarterly profit and margin, the eighth consecutive quarter of beating guidance, and $250 million of electric school buses in “firm order backlog.”

“Our position is that any potential government tariffs will be passed through to the end customer so there will be no net financial impact on Blue Bird,” said Phil Horlock, who is retiring as president and CEO this week but retaining his board of director seat.

John Wyskiel succeeds Horlock on Feb. 17.

Last week, President Donald Trump paused for 30 days a 25-percent tariff on imported goods from both Canada and Mexico, though a 10-percent tariff on Chinese imports went into effect. Essentially, think of tariffs as an added sales tax by the federal government, Blue Bird CFO Razvan Radulescu said during the Q&A portion of the call on Feb. 5.

Meanwhile, Horlock said Blue Bird is confident U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program funding will continue unfettered. He shared details from a Feb. 4 memo issued by Gregg Treml, the acting CFO of EPA, that stated a federal court injunction pausing Trump administration freezes on unspent federal program funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act “shall not be paused and disbursement of funds shall continue while ongoing litigation proceeds or until otherwise directed by a Court.”

Horlock said Blue Bird also has confirmed political support for the Clean School Bus Program with members of Congress.

He added the court order reversing the freeze should also protect nearly $80 million in Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program funding from the U.S. Department of Energy that was appropriated under the Inflation Recovery Act. The funds are to be used to convert Blue Bird’s diesel motorhome manufacturing plant in Fort Valley, Georgia, into a 600,000 square-foot Type D electric school bus facility.

To address the initial pause in EPA funding, Horlock said Blue Bird reprioritized production to build fully-funded school buses earlier and pushed back build dates for bus orders to be paid for with federal money. He added the manufacturer is also prioritizing “significant new EV orders” paid for by state and local funding. Still, Blue Bird lowered the number of forecasted electric school bus deliveries to 1,000 units from the previous range of 1,000 to 1,300.

The company also noted higher internal combustion engine school bus prices compared to a year ago and at comparable levels with its competitors.

Blue Bird also said the quarter-one results beat the previous guidance and that it remained on track to meet the full-year guidance of Adjusted EBITDA at $200 million and a 14-percent margin.

Related: U.S. Delays Tariffs with Canada, Mexico as Bus Associations Warn of Fallout
Related: (STN Podcast E215) Next-Level Safety: Exclusive Interview – Seatbelts Standard on Blue Bird Buses
Related: Blue Bird Announces Standard Lap/Shoulder Seatbelts on All School Buses

The post Blue Bird: Tariffs Would Increase Non-EV School Bus Prices by 5% appeared first on School Transportation News.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, donated an advanced electric school bus to Hoop Bus Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to youth programming and community engagement across North America. The full-size, zero-emission bus is equipped with basketball hoops at the front and back, turning the vehicle into an interactive, mobile court. Hoop Bus will use this electric vehicle to serve thousands of at-risk youth in under-resourced communities across the Golden State.

The zero-emission hoopbus makes its debut today at 1:00 p.m. PST at West Oakland Middle School in Oakland, Ca. Following the dedication ceremony, the nonprofit will host a P.E. Takeover, one of its signature programs. This high-energy and inclusive social-emotional-learning experience meets students grades 4-12 where they are at, encouraging health equity, team building and self-love. This P.E. Takeover kicks off Hoop Bus’ event series leading up to NBA All-Star weekend on Feb. 14-16, 2025.

Since its inception in 2019, Hoop Bus has impacted 320,000 youth annually with hundreds of events and was featured in NBA’s Emmy-award winning

75th anniversary campaign. Hoop Bus operates six vehicles of change in metropolitan areas across the United States, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Three of those hoopbuses are Blue Bird buses.

“We are pumped to add our first all-electric, zero-emission vehicle to the Hoop Bus fleet,” said Hoop Bus executive director Dan Moroni, who led the conversion project of the Blue Bird electric vehicle. “This electric bus allows us to bring basketball-based programming to communities across California in a clean and quiet ride. As a vehicle of change, it will help us rebuild, empower and amplify communities through basketball.”

Hoop Bus converted the vehicle into a mobile basketball court and tricked out the interior by adding collaborative seating areas, storage spaces, flatscreen TVs, and a basketball rack. The nonprofit also added solar panels to the vehicle and will use the clean energy generated to run the sound and entertainment system on its state-of-the-art hoopbus.

“We think it’s a slam dunk to help Hoop Bus build better communities by bringing the game of basketball to people in need,” said Blue Bird president and CEO Phil Horlock. “As an added plus, our all-electric bus generates zero emissions, protecting the health of riders, drivers, and the community-at-large.”

Blue Bird donated a Blue Bird All American electric bus in excellent condition to the nonprofit. The 40-foot bus can traditionally carry a maximum of 84 students for up to 120 miles on a single charge.

Blue Bird partner organization InCharge Energy, the leading provider of EV charging solutions and service support for electric fleets, donated a Level 2 AC vehicle charger to Hoop Bus ensuring the bus is fully charged overnight and ready to provide basketball-based programming to local youth each day. The donation includes a virtual site assessment and route planning consultation, the charging hardware, as well as one year of InControl charge management and maintenance software and data plan.

Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer in the United States. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero emission school buses with more than 2,500 electric-powered buses on the road today.

About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world 25 million children twice a day making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

About Hoop Bus
Hoop Bus Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters community engagement and youth programming in communities across America that need it most. They partner with other nonprofits, schools and corporate brands to break down social barriers, promote health equity, increase attendance and teach life skills through the love of basketball. For more information or to make a tax-free donation, visit www.hoopbus.com.

About InCharge Energy
InCharge Energy provides reliable, cost-effective charging solutions for North American fleets of all sizes. Its service and maintenance offerings, available in every state and province, are designed to support multiple brands of charging equipment. The company also offers a range of customizable financial solutions to meet every business objective and budget, accelerating the path to fleet electrification for auto manufacturers and dealerships, school districts, and state and local agencies. The InCharge team of service experts works remotely to keep chargers operational and dispatches on-staff, highly trained technicians across the continent to facilitate rapid issue resolution. The company’s open-API InControl is the first fleet charging software to be widely adopted across North America to control costs and manage charging results. This AI-powered charger maintenance platform is purpose-built to keep electric fleets on the roads, empowering businesses with key insights to easily optimize fleet operations and minimize total cost of ownership (TCO). Headquartered in Los Angeles, InCharge has operating facilities in Richmond, Virginia; Montreal, Quebec; and Bellflower, California. Learn more about InCharge Energy and its services at www.inchargeus.com. You can also follow InCharge on LinkedIn.

The post Blue Bird Donates Electric School Bus to Hoop Bus appeared first on School Transportation News.

In an era where the future of electric school buses has grown increasingly complicated, a pilot project for school districts across the state of New Mexico run by electric school bus manufacturer GreenPower Motor Company to determine the viability and reliability of fast charging in different environments and circumstances.

New Mexico and GreenPower signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that the state will seek an appropriation of $5 million to conduct the pilot program that would fund the purchase of all-electric, purpose-built school buses, installation of charging stations and other resources, and management costs.

The pilot would begin during the 2025-2026 school year and continue into the 2026-2027 school year. All school districts would be eligible to participate voluntarily, with a selection criterion to be determined by the state and GreenPower.

The MOU adds that the state will seek an additional $15 million for purchasing additional school buses to be evaluated during the pilot project, following the successful completion of two phases. It also notes that the state will work with GreenPower to expand the all-electric-commercial fleet operated by the Department of Transportation and General Services Department.

The MOU notes GreenPower’s commitment to American-made lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are used in the company’s Type D BEAST and Mega BEAST as well as Type A Nano BEAST.

Related: Man Arrested After Allegedly Stealing a School Bus in New Mexico
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“New Mexico has an excellent workforce and is a great place for clean energy businesses. We look forward to this pilot project providing the schools an experience with Class 4, Type A and Type D, all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses. The pilot will determine how state and local governments in New Mexico, and the entire Southwest, can be best served as the market expands for clean commercial vehicles, vans and buses,” GreenPower President Brendan Riley stated.

The MOU was signed Monday in the office of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham by Riley and the Economic Development Department (EDD), which has reportedly been working with GreenPower to find a service center facility in New Mexico.

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CUMBERLAND, R.I. – Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP) and Durham School Services officially unveiled their twenty-four new electric school buses at a ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday, January 28, at 12 p.m. at Durham School Services’ transportation depot located at 1 John C Dean Memorial Blvd, Cumberland, RI 02864. Governor McKee was in attendance at the event.

The twenty-four new electric school buses have replaced part of the school district’s existing fleet of standard school buses and began serving the community in mid-December. This new Electric Vehicle (EV) venture significantly catapults BVP to the forefront as an EV leader in its community. The procurement of the new electric school buses was made possible through funding awarded to the school district from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program.

In preparation for the new EV buses, Durham School Services team members participated in training sessions provided by our regional maintenance team and were also joined by representatives from IC Bus and Highland Electric Fleets, where they received hands-on training on how to properly and proficiently maintain and operate the new vehicles, as well as the 24 newly installed Tellus chargers.

“Our team has been buzzing with excitement to finally introduce the new electric school buses to the students and community at the ribbon cutting event,” said Francisco Monteiro, Area General Manager, Durham School Services. “Blackstone Valley Prep and our team have put in a considerable amount of hard work and hours into this sustainability effort. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we feel a sense of pride and accomplishment now that the electric buses are ready to hit the road.”

Wayne Skinner, Senior Vice President of Maintenance at Durham School Services, continued, “We worked tirelessly to ensure all the proper infrastructure and charging stations were in place to make this project a success, and I’m pleased to say that we were beyond successful. This EV endeavor is representative of our Company’s values and commitment to safety and enhancing our community. I am immensely proud of our team and district partner and can’t wait for the students and community to see and experience the buses in action.”

Beth Dowd, Director of Operations at Blackstone Valley Prep, added, “By embracing this more sustainable initiative, we’re supporting the well-being of BVP scholars, our communities, and the environment, and prioritizing a healthier and more vibrant future for all.”

“Blackstone Valley Prep’s deployment of 24 electric school buses the largest in Rhode Island is a landmark achievement in student transportation,” said Matt Stanberry, VP of Market Development at Highland Electric Fleets. “This project reflects a shared commitment by BVP, Durham School Services, IC Bus, and Highland Electric Fleets to prioritize student health and wellness while embracing innovative solutions that set a new standard for schools across the state.”

About Durham School Services: As an industry-leading student transportation provider, Durham School Services is dedicated to the safety of our students and People. For more than 100 years, we have been committed to Excellence and upholding our mission of getting students to school safely, on time, and ready to learn. Through this mission and a grassroots approach to our operations, Durham School Services has earned recognition as a trusted transportation provider among our Customers and the Communities we serve.

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The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo is back in Anaheim, California, with sessions that focus on helping fleets navigate the evolving landscape of clean technologies and policies, including one on school buses.

This year’s school bus session, School Bus Sector: Rolling out the New Generation of School Buses, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30. The session seeks to give attendees insights into best practices of real-world school fleets, using private and public funds, exploring the environmental and health benefits, and discussing emerging technologies such as V2G. No speakers for the school bus session were announced at this report.

Attendees will also have the option to attend a Ride & Drive, browse the exhibit floor and attend keynote sessions, as well as the various other breakout sessions slated for the conference held April 28-May 1.

“As fleets enter 2025, there are more questions than ever about the state of the clean vehicle industry, which technologies are really working, how to achieve a positive [total cost of ownership] and a whole lot more. ACT Expo is the place where fleets can cut through the chaos and gain clarity on the best technologies and strategies to improve operational efficiency, drive sustainability, and gain a competitive advantage,” stated Erik Neandross, president of Clean Transportation Solutions at TRC, the producers of ACT Expo. “Our educational sessions are truly the best in the industry; we provide fleets with the tools to build a roadmap for the future that combines innovation with practical, real-world solutions and demonstrated expertise provided by other fleet operators.”

The Trump administration has said it will repeal any federal zero-emissions vehicle mandates and prioritize increased development of internal combustion vehicles. Sue Gander, director of WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative, added that “the incoming Administration has signaled its plans to roll back clean vehicle regulations, including potentially the California waivers,” she said. “These waivers, including ones that impact school buses, play an important role for air quality in California and a number of other states and rescinding them would be a setback.

Already, the California Air Resources Board withdrew its request for federal approval for stricter emissions rules for locomotives and semi-trucks. The rule would have phased out the sale of new diesel trucks and buses by 2036. Transport Topics reported that CARB pulled back because U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had yet to approve the request and that even if it had already done so the Trump administration would rescind it.

CARB already received an EPA waiver for the Omnibus Lo-NOX regulation that includes school buses. NOx emissions must be reduced by 75 percent for model-year 2024 through 2026 engines.

Related: EPA, Treasury Disseminate Electric School Bus Tax Credit Information
Related: EPA Extends 2024 Clean School Bus Program Rebate Application Deadline
Related: EPA Awards Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program Funds Nationwide
Related: Oregon School District, First Student Win Fleet Awards at ACT EXPO
Related: Districts, Contractors Discuss School Bus Electrification Journey at ACT EXPO

Meanwhile, ACT Expo keynote speakers for this year will be announced this month, with the full roster expected in February.

The 2024 event was at the Las Vegas Convention Center and more than 12,000 commercial transportation professionals attended. TRC stated that as the event returns to Anaheim, “it will feature roughly twice the expo hall space of the 2023 Anaheim event to accommodate the increasing number of exhibitors, advanced vehicles and clean transportation solutions on display in the exhibit hall.”

STN Media is a media sponsor of the event. 

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A joint U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Treasury webinar shared ways electric school buses could be more affordable using new tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The first tax credit discussed Thursday relates to the vehicle itself. The Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit (45W) provides an income tax credit to a taxpayer who purchased and placed into a service a qualified commercial clean vehicle during the taxable year. The 45W rule, established by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, was published in the federal register on Tuesday.

45W credit amount for the lesser amount of either 30 percent of basis of the qualified vehicle, or the incremental cost of the vehicle up to a credit maximum of $40,000, in the case of a vehicle with a GVWR of 14,000 pounds or more. The incremental cost is the excess of the purchase price of a clean vehicle compared to a comparable gas or diesel internal combustion engine. The 45W Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would provide pathways for taxpayers to determine the incremental cost.

In order for the vehicle to qualify, it must be made by a qualified manufacturer (a list of qualified manufacturers is on the IRS website), is acquired for use or lease, treated as a motor vehicle for use on public roads, has a battery capacity of at least 15 kWh, used predominantly in the 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and be either electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Meanwhile, Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (30C), published in the Federal Register in September 2024, allows an income tax credit equal to 30 percent for individuals and up to 30 percent for businesses for the purchase and installation cost of any qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property that was placed into service by the taxpayer during the taxable year. This applies to all aspects of electric charging infrastructure as well as CNG, propane or hydrogen fueling centers.

Each charging point is considered a single item and therefore the credit is limited to $100,000 per business use property and $1,000 for personal use property. Electric panels, conduit/wiring, smart charge management system installed in different tax years are only credible in the year the functionally interdependent or integral part property is placed into service.

Related: EPA Extends 2024 Clean School Bus Program Rebate Application Deadline
Related: EPA Awards Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program Funds Nationwide
Related: Propane Bus Grant Provides Funding Opportunities for Missouri Districts
Related: Webinar Reviews Community Benefits of School Bus Electrification

The webinar explained a special section of the tax credit rule, which relates to vehicles funded by grants and forgivable loans. The webinar noted, “if an investment-related credit property is funded by a tax-free grant or forgivable loan, entities get the same value of eligible tax credit as if the investment were financed with taxable funds, provided the credit plus the restricted tax-exempt amounts do not exceed the cost of the investment.”

This means if a school district receives a tax-exempt grant of $300,000 to purchase an electric school bus, in which the total cost of the bus came out to $400,000, the 45W credit is $40,000. Since the amount of the grant and the credit ($340,000) is less than the cost of the school bus, the credit is not reduced.

One attendee asked if these credits are at risk from the presidential administration change. A Department of Treasury representative noted that they will remain in effect unless changed by Congress.

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EL DORADO Springs, Mo. — El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools, in partnership with transportation leader First Student, has become the first school district in Missouri, and one of only a few in the country, to transition its entire fleet of regular education bus routes to electric. Today, the district and company held an event to mark the successful deployment of 13 electric school buses (ESBs), which will provide a cleaner, quieter and safer ride for hundreds of students.

“With zero emissions, improved air quality and reduced noise pollution, the deployment of these electric school buses will have an immediate, positive impact on the community,” said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews. “We appreciate the partnership from
El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools to enhance the bus-riding experience for students. As more districts recognize the long-term benefits of electric school buses, First Student is proud to be leading the charge toward a more sustainable future by embracing this cutting-edge transportation solution.”

The electric school buses are a first for El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools. The ESBs will replace 13 diesel buses in the district’s fleet and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 700,000 pounds each year.

“The transition to electric school buses demonstrates our commitment to sustainable initiatives and support for innovative technologies,” said El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Superintendent Brad Steward. “These electric school buses will benefit the well-being of our students and the community, setting a positive example for future generations. We are excited to work with First Student on our shared goal of greener, safer and more efficient transportation for our families.”

Funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program covered the cost of the electric school buses and charging stations. First Student has secured enough funding from the program to deploy around 1,200 ESBs for school districts across the United States.

First Student has committed to transitioning 30,000 of its diesel buses to electric by 2035 to improve the health and well-being of even more students and communities. The company currently operates more than 400 electric school buses throughout North America and is close to marking 5 million miles of service with ESBs, expanding its industry-leading position.

About First Student

As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.

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