| New York’s push for electric school buses by 2027 has districts across the state struggling with voter approval and funding. |
| By Bianca Fortis, Photo: CA Energy / Flickr |
| With its affluent waterfront along Chautauqua Lake, the Bemus Point Central School District rarely qualifies for federal financial assistance. So when an opportunity arose to apply for a rebate from the Environmental Protection Agency to help finance new electric school buses, district administrators jumped at the chance. In May, the EPA awarded Bemus Point $400,000 for two electric buses. Two years ago, New York passed a law mandating that all new school bus purchases must be electric starting in 2027. The district reasoned that the rebate could provide a head start, while easing the financial burden on local taxpayers. “We never get this,” said District Superintendent Joseph Reyda. “This was a rare, rare occurrence.” Including bus chargers and upgrades to the bus garage, the full project would cost about a million dollars. The rebate and additional state incentives meant the district would be responsible for less than a quarter of that. To cover the local share, the school board asked the community to approve a proposition to take out a temporary loan for $236,000. The district campaigned hard this summer, publishing several articles in the local newspaper, posting regularly on social media, holding three public meetings, and even bringing in an electric school bus for the community to tour. On September 5, the community voted — and rejected the proposition by just 11 votes, effectively turning down about $800,000 in financial incentives, as well as the chance to get ahead of the state mandate. Of the state’s 30 districts that tried to pass propositions this year specifically to purchase an electric bus, 10 had their measures rejected by voters, according to data compiled by the New York State School Boards Association. |
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