CINCINNATI – First Student, the transportation partner for the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), will be adding five new electric school buses to its fleet in Madison, Wisconsin, providing a cleaner and quieter ride to and from school for hundreds of students. The company recently secured $1.97 million from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase the electric buses, a first for MMSD.
“We are excited to begin the transition to electric school buses,” said MMSD Interim Superintendent Lisa Kvistad. “These vehicles will help move us closer to achieving our district’s sustainability goals and underscore our commitment to being an environmentally responsible partner to our community.”
The funding for the electric school buses comes from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which allocates funds for school districts to help cover the cost of replacing fossil-fuel school buses with zero-emission vehicles. First Student will work with MMSD to deploy the new electric buses over the next 18 months.
“We look forward to partnering with the district to introduce students and families to the first electric school buses in our MMSD fleet,” said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews. “We are grateful for the EPA’s commitment to transitioning school transportation systems to electric, delivering immediate, tangible benefits to communities, from better health to quieter streets.”
Replacing just one diesel school bus with an electric school bus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54,000 pounds annually. First Student is committed to transitioning 30,000 diesel-powered school buses to electric by 2035.
About First Student
As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of more than 46,000 buses.
About the Madison Metropolitan School District
The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin and serves over 25,000 students in 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 4,500 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts so students can learn, belong, and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.