REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Today, Zūm, the leader in modern student transportation, announced that it will deploy a fully electric school bus fleet for Branford Public Schools beginning in the 2026–27 school year, making Branford the largest fully electric school district with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities in the Northeast. All electric buses will be supported by modern charging infrastructure, with built-in bidirectional V2G capabilities.
This announcement represents a significant moment for Branford and the evolution of student transportation nationwide. As the largest school district in the Northeast to fully electrify its school bus fleet, Branford is demonstrating that clean, reliable electric student transportation is not a future ambition, but a current possibility for school districts across the country.
The electric fleet is designed with the future capability to strengthen grid resilience by enabling school bus batteries to return energy to the local grid at scale when not in use. This vehicle-to-grid capacity transforms what has traditionally been an underutilized asset into a strategic energy resource — improving reliability, maximizing the value of district infrastructure, and supporting long-term sustainability.
Zum also provides the students and parents of Branford Public Schools with enhanced safety and reliability, reflected in a 98% on-time arrival rate to school. Through its parent app, families can see exactly where their children are during every ride to and from school — creating peace of mind for families each day.
Zum and Branford Public Schools announced the initiative today at Zum’s Branford student transportation yard during an event attended by local and state leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
Photo caption: Left to right: Sarah Skinner, Zum; Liz Sanchez, Zum; Chairman Peter Berdon;
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Superintendent Tranberg, Branford Public Schools;
Blaize Levitan, COO, Branford Public Schools; Jim Finch, Town of Branford; and
Charlotte Charbono, Zum.
“This marks a major milestone in Zum’s continued national electrification expansion and an exciting moment for student transportation,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “As we expand our electrification efforts to the East Coast and launch our first fully electric school bus fleet in the region, Branford is helping set a new national standard. With Zum’s technology platform and this state-of-the-art EV fleet, we are reimagining what’s possible — building a modern transportation system rooted in operational excellence and a relentless focus on safety that improves the experience for students, families, and drivers, sets kids up for success in the classroom, strengthens grid reliability and resiliency, and delivers lasting benefits to the entire community.”
“Branford Public Schools, in partnership with Zum, is committed to delivering a first-class transportation system that prioritizes students and families while setting a new standard for safety, reliability, and sustainability,” said Superintendent Christopher Tranberg. “Electric school buses with bidirectional charging capabilities create cleaner transportation today and have the potential to support grid resilience by returning energy from bus batteries back to the grid in the future.”
“Branford is proving that clean, reliable student transportation is possible today,” said Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “By deploying the largest fully electric school bus fleet in the Northeast, we are delivering cleaner air for kids, smarter infrastructure for communities, and a model for the nation.”
Photo caption: Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz delivers remarks at Zum’s Branford school bus yard.
In 2024, Branford Public Schools awarded Zum a 10-year student transportation contract with the goal of transitioning the district to a 100% electric school bus fleet within five years. Through its partnership with Zum, Branford Public Schools is now on track to achieve this transition within the first two years of the contract—three years ahead of schedule.
This achievement builds on Zum’s growing national momentum. Today, Zum partners with school districts across 15 states, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Omaha, Boston and Kansas City, delivering a fully integrated, transparent, and reliable transportation platform at scale. In the 2024–25 school year, Zum made history by deploying the nation’s first fully electric school bus fleet in Oakland Unified School District in California.
To learn more about how Zum is working with thousands of schools to deliver safe, reliable and modern student transportation, please visit Zum’s website.
About Zūm
Zum is a technology-led, data-driven transportation company transforming student transportation—the largest mass transit system in the United States. Today, Zum provides turnkey, modern transportation solutions to more than 4,000 schools across 15 states and is expanding rapidly nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has raised over $350 million from leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, and SoftBank. Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times Fastest Growing Companies. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
About Branford Public Schools
Located in Branford, Connecticut, Branford Public Schools provides a high-quality, inclusive public education for students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The district is committed to academic excellence, student well-being, and equitable learning opportunities that prepare students to think critically, contribute to their communities, and navigate a changing world.
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REDWOOD CITY, Calif.,- Zum, the leader in modern student transportation, today announced the appointment of Joseph Chong as Chief Marketing Officer. Chong will lead Zum’s marketing strategy and execution as the company accelerates national expansion, deepens adoption across major school districts, and continues to scale its technology-led, data-driven student transportation platform.
Zum is transforming student transportation—the largest mass transit system in the United States—by replacing fragmented, antiquated models with a tech and AI-driven transportation solution built around safety, reliability, transparency, and operational excellence. As adoption continues to grow rapidly across the country, Chong will help strengthen and amplify Zum’s narrative, strengthen engagement with districts and families, and support continued momentum across new and existing markets.
Chong brings more than 25 years of marketing leadership experience across high-growth and category-defining technology companies. Most recently, he served as Chief Marketing Officer at Incode, where he helped scale the company through a period of rapid growth. A graduate of Harvard College and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Chong has also held senior leadership roles at Zoom, Salesforce, and Twitter.
“Zum is setting a new standard in student transportation with technology that reduces commute times, increases visibility and transparency, and ensures students arrive at school ready to learn,” said Chong. “I’m excited to join the team at a moment of significant momentum, and to help bring Zum’s world-class technology and operations to even more communities nationwide.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Joseph to Zum at a pivotal stage in our growth,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “Joseph’s experience building and scaling trusted brands aligns perfectly with where Zum is today. As more districts turn to Zum to modernize student transportation, Joseph’s leadership will help us deepen impact and continue raising the bar for how student transportation is delivered.”
Zum currently serves more than 4,000 schools across 14 states, with partnerships in many of the nation’s largest school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, San Francisco Unified, Oakland Unified, Seattle Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, Omaha Public Schools, and St. Louis Public Schools.
To learn more about how Zum is delivering safe, reliable, and modern student transportation at scale, visit www.ridezum.com.
About Zum:
Zum is a technology-led, data-driven transportation company transforming student transportation—the largest mass transit system in the United States. Today, Zum provides turnkey, modern transportation solutions to more than 4,000 schools across 14 states and is expanding rapidly nationwide. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zum has raised over $350 million from leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, and SoftBank. Zum has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times Fastest-Growing Companies. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.
The post Zum Appoints Joseph Chong as Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on School Transportation News.
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