Plum among school districts eyeing electric bus fleet

Plum School District students soon could be enjoying a quieter ride to school with the addition of fully electric school buses.

The district is one of 21 in Pennsylvania awarded federal money through the Clean School Bus Program to help convert their fleets to electric vehicles.

But don’t say goodbye to diesel-fueled buses just yet.

“I don’t think at any point we will fully get rid of diesel vehicles just because there are going to be field trips that go further that will require a diesel vehicle, but I can’t also say they aren’t going to move forward with a more electrically efficient fleet,” said Taye Coles, Plum’s director of transportation.

Plum got one of the largest awards in the state — $5 million. It’s enough for up to 25 electric buses, but the money won’t buy nearly that many, at least not at the outset.

Instead, Coles said, the district could buy about 13 buses because a big portion of the federal money will have to be used to purchase the charging stations to keep the buses running.

The actual cost of the buses and charging stations hasn’t been determined nor is it known exactly when the buses will start running routes in the district.

“This grant represents a significant impact to our district to generate additional federal funding to offset the cost of replacing and upgrading 25 old buses,” Superintendent Rick Walsh said. “The addition of electric school buses into our fleet will not only help to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they also reduce maintenance expenses and provide a more comfortable and quiet ride for our students.”

This year, the district partnered with Highland Electric Fleets to help the district determine how best to add electric buses to its fleet and to analyze the district’s fleet to identify which, if any, buses it makes sense to replace.

The district also is working with Duquesne Light to review and assess electrical supply in preparation for the new buses.

Cold winter mornings in Southwestern Pennsylvania are not uncommon, and that played a role in the decision-making process since freezing temperatures can be the enemy of batteries.

“Weather and terrain were all issues that we discussed. We kinda have to look at all of that based on what routes we would be putting those vehicles on and seeing if there were concerns with that and how to adjust,” Coles said.

Because Plum runs its own fleet of 68 buses instead of contracting an outside company to provide transportation, Coles is sure electric buses could save the district on fuel costs.

“Absolutely, diesel fuel alone — that’s a substantial savings. With the fluctuation of fuel prices, we don’t have an exact number now, but it is definitely a substantial saving,” Coles said.

For now, the district doesn’t plan to get rid of any of the vehicles in its fleet to make room for the new buses.

Another sure thing about any new buses in the district is the continuation of a program to equip them with external cameras.

This year, the district began installing cameras on its buses that look at surrounding traffic. They are in addition to cameras that keep an eye on bus passengers.

The exterior cameras provide virtually 360-degree views outside the bus in addition to a view of the door where students enter and exit.

The district already spent a little more than $100,000 to outfit 23 of its buses with the cameras. It’s estimated equipping the rest of the district’s fleet will cost about $212,000. This district has been using grant money for that program, too, as is seeking additional grants to keep it going.

Coles said he expects any new electric buses will be similarly equipped with the cameras.

One of the main functions of the cameras is to catch drivers illegally passing school buses when their red warning lights are flashing, indicating students are entering or leaving the bus.

Other schools in the region that were awarded grants for electric buses include Kiski Area, but that district is opting for liquid propane-powered buses instead of electric.