A Thursday webinar stressed the importance of student transportation departments taking an active role in school district-wide efforts to modernize facilities and electrify school buses despite funding shortages.
Marcus Gilmore, senior advisor of clean mobility strategy for webinar sponsor ENGIE North America, shared that despite the staffing and purchasing issues school transportation is facing, electric school bus (ESB) momentum continues. The World Resources Institute reports 13,860 ESB deployments or commitments in 49 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, and several tribal nations. Many of these buses are deployed in disadvantaged communities, he noted.
He reviewed how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program process faced unprecedented demand before proceeding with a 2024 round. Most districts also see limited state funding, which poses a challenge with federal ESB funding in question.
“Districts are getting creative,” he said, adding that funding is one piece of the puzzle, but aligning efficiency and modernization goals across school district departments is also crucial.
“Districts are getting creative.”
-Marcus Gilmore, Senior Advisor – Clean Mobility Strategy, ENGIE North America
Michael Decker, ENGIE’s senior business development manager, has nearly 30 years of experience as an administrator in Michigan public schools, culminating in his nine-year term as superintendent of St. Charles Community Schools. He spoke to the politics involved in getting a standalone project approved, especially when the district administration doesn’t have visibility into what transportation does or perceives it as competing with “core” education priorities.
He strongly advised transportation leaders to claim a seat at the table and make their voices heard by district administration. As such, student transportation leaders should attend all relevant meetings and remain in the loop with planning because other departments are also advocating for their projects.
“Being able to work in collaboration is huge,” Decker emphasized. “Request and demand that you have a chance to talk.”
While funding approvals typically come through the C-suite, he confirmed that lower-level employees and departments have crucial information and perspectives that must be heard.
“We need to have a need, we need to have desire and we need to have the funding,” he summarized.
Decker also encouraged student transporters to seek discretionary funding, after personnel cuts and other often-overlooked sources.
He noted benefits of facility modernization, which can include fleet electrification, for better student health, improved academic success, attracting more staff and student families, greater operational efficiencies, fuel cost savings, performing needed upgrades, and ending the “kick the can down the road” mentality.
He advocated for affordable comprehensive improvements, since repairs within the walls and roofs are just as important as more public facing facilities. Solar power, battery storage, lighting and transformers are examples of upgrades that give districts a quick return on investment. EV fleet infrastructure, roof upgrades, major HVAC, and window repairs provide a longer return on investment.
Decker shared that, during its free, graded assets survey or consultation, ENGIE will seek holistic improvement opportunities in a district. The company is also brand agnostic with its proposed solutions.
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Gilmore reviewed the example of San Marcos Unified School District in California’s San Diego County, which implemented a resilient microgrid for its ESB fleet to satisfy district officials’ desires to cut overall energy costs to help fund the initiative. District-wide cost control measures include LED lighting, solar power, battery energy storage, and HVAC mechanical replacements.
Aromas-San Juan USD, a small rural district in Central California, wanted to improve its energy efficiency, resiliency and sustainability with a comprehensive approach. ENGIE provided the district with an energy services contract comprised of district-wide measures: Solar power, more than 20 new HVAC units, programmable thermostat upgrades, a backup generator for energy resilience, and installation of Wi-Fi on school buses which helped support distance learning for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Decker noted that lighting upgrades are an important yet often overlooked improvement for cost savings, which webinar host STN Publisher Tony Corpin noted requires a conversation with the facilities manager.
Gilmore cautioned against purchasing ESBs solely because there is currently federal funding. Without doing the necessary homework and future planning, he said ESBs could end up parked on a district lot unused.
Transportation infrastructure ultimately supports students’ education and economic prowess, which is the main goal, Decker said. “Make it attractive so we attract more students and fulfill their needs,” he commented.
