According to recent reporting in the Wrangell Sentinel, the Wrangell School District in Alaska became the first district in the state to win an electric school bus grant from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program earlier this year. However, they ran into a roadblock when their existing bus contractor declined to follow through upon discovering that the awarding of a new electric bus required the destruction of an existing diesel one.
That’s when First Student stepped in.
“First Student, a nationwide company based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, which holds the school bus service contracts around Alaska, got wind of Wrangell’s attempts and donated a diesel bus to the school district to be taken out of service — without ever coming to Wrangell,” The Wrangell Sentinel reports.
At First Student, we are committed to advancing the electric school bus movement across the country – whether we are contracted there or not – so every student and community can experience the benefits of cleaner air and better health outcomes.
“All (electric vehicle) deployments will advance our efforts to provide emissions-free transportation to students and communities, as well as contribute to reducing deployment costs in the future,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification at First Student.
Despite not operating school buses in the district, First Student realized we could assist by providing the district with a bus that we would be retiring in the near future, helping to make electric school buses a reality in Alaska.
As more funding sources become available, First Student is committed to help school districts nationwide bring electric buses to their fleets.
If your school district needs assistance with fleet electrification, our EV consultants are available. Please email us at electrification@firststudentinc.com.