The State of Michigan awarded the Grand Rapids School District $1.48 million from Michigan’s Clean School Bus grant program to help the district implement electric school buses. GRPS is one of 29 school districts in the state to receive the grant.
The funding is coupled with $5.2 million awarded to GRPS by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this past May, which will go toward the purchase of electric school buses and the charging infrastructure to support those buses.
According to Christopher Dean, Director of Innovation for Dean Transportation, a well-equipped electric school bus currently costs approximately $380,000, while the charging infrastructure can cost between $25-50,000.
Transportation experts say investing in clean-fuel vehicles will improve air quality and lower costs in the long run, especially considering Michigan transports 800,000 students on 17,000 buses each school year.
Dean Transportation, who provides school bus transportation for many students in the GRPS district, assisted in securing both grants.
The goal is to have the first electric school buses on the road and transporting GRPS students sometime in 2025.
