The Plum School District got a little more help in its quest to transition part of its fleet from traditional to electric school buses.
The state Department of Environmental Protection announced the district was awarded $300,000 to buy three electric school buses.
The money is part of more than $2.55 million awarded to improve air quality in communities through cleaner fuel infrastructure, the agency said. In addition to clean school buses, the 2024 Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants will be used for electric vehicle chargers and other projects to lower air emissions from transportation.
DMJ Transportation of Mt. Pleasant is also among 14 recipients. The company, which has terminals in Mt. Pleasant, Greensburg, Latrobe and Norvelt, received $248,030 to buy 34 propane school buses, the DEP said.
State Rep. Brandon Markosek, D-Monroeville, applauded the award to Plum.
“This investment in clean energy technology is a win for both the environment and our community,” Markosek said in a statement. “By transitioning to electric school buses, Plum School District is taking an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring students have a safe and sustainable way to get to school.”
This year, it was announced that Plum School District was awarded $5 million through the federal Clean School Bus Program. One of the largest awards in the state, it’s to be used for the purchase of up to 25 electric buses.
But according to an administrative presentation in October, the buses were estimated to cost about $9.6 million, with other costs including electric lines, charging stations and parking lot resurfacing pushing the total to about $12.8 million.
At that time, administrators said the district had about 78% of the cost covered through grants, tax credits and expected cost savings, and that they would be working to cover as much of the cost without local tax dollars as possible. They noted that the district receives no grant funding to buy diesel buses, the cost of which are fully borne by taxpayers.
District officials declined to comment on the DEP grant announcement. Despite the state’s announcement, spokeswoman Carrie Butler said, the district had not been given any information or notice of the award.
At its meeting Tuesday, the school board is expected to approve a purchase order for 25 electric buses with Highland Electric Fleets. As presented Dec. 3, it will be for up to $10.675 million, reflecting a cost of up to $427,000 per bus.
District officials have been evaluating buses from manufacturers, but have not chosen one. Those at a cost of $427,000 each were said to be the most expensive.
If approved, the district would be able to cancel the purchase authorization and any contract by Feb. 28 if the infrastructure to charge the buses is not available, is not fiscally viable or is not physically available at its garage. They can also be canceled if the federal funding to pay part of the bus cost is no longer available.