Durham Public Schools Awaits Electric School Buses

Public schools in Durham are now on target to receive 38 electric school buses through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Jan. 9 announced the state will receive $26.7 million in EPA grants to purchase a total of 114 buses, and Durham Public Schools will get a significant number of those.

“New funding for electric school buses means protecting the health of children from harmful diesel fumes, cutting carbon emissions, saving money on bus maintenance for tight public school budgets, and creating good jobs in North Carolina,” Cooper said in a statement. “This investment is good for our students, schools, economy, and planet, and I appreciate the Biden Administration for investing in our communities across North Carolina.”

The new buses coming to Durham are thanks to a partnership between DPS, Carolina Thomas Buses, and Highland Electric Fleets. Mathew Palmer, senior executive director for school planning and operational services at DPS, said the district has been preparing the past few years for a transition to electric vehicles. The district’s three transportation lots are equipped with chargers that currently can simultaneously charge 12 electric school buses at any given time.

“Honestly, we have known this is where we are going at a societal level,” Palmer said. “This is a slingshot for us, definitely an accelerator.”

But how soon will these new buses roll out to pick up Durham students? That’ll depend largely on the manufacturer’s production queue and demand from other districts that received funding from the federal government, Palmer said. They might not arrive in time for the 2024-2025 academic year, he said, and probably not all at once when the vehicles do come off the assembly line.

While they wait, though, district bus drivers and technicians are expected to undergo professional development and training to effectively use and maintain zero-emission vehicles, Palmer said.

After the buses arrive, he said, they’re expected to serve students in Durham’s lower-income neighborhoods.

The EPA also granted funding for this round to Maureen Joy Charter School (four buses), KIPP Durham College Prep (three buses), and Reaching All Minds Academy (one bus).

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