Highline School District's electric school buses showing promising results

Last fall, the Highline School District added state-of-the-art electric school buses to its fleet as part of a $1 billion federal program from the Environmental Protection Agency.

BURIEN, Wash. - Last fall, the Highline School District added state-of-the-art electric school buses to its fleet as part of a $1 billion federal program from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program is designed to reduce exposure to harmful diesel fumes and exhaust, and to be cleaner on the environment in general.

So far, the district is pleased with its results.

"Less carbon will be going on, less emissions being used, and it will also help our students with any kind of needs," said Theo White, a school bus dispatcher and driver with the district. "This is going to be great for the community."

Highline was one of only 400 school districts in the U.S. selected to ‘test-drive’ the electric school buses.

The average diesel school bus costs about $165,000, but the cost of an electric bus is around $400,000.

"As long as they help us, keep getting these grants with the state of Washington, we'll be able to keep getting more of these buses and less of the noise," said White.

The buses have other benefits that reduce their pollution footprint, like having pre-school-sized seats, which means fewer buses on the road and fewer overall trips.

"It allows us to be more efficient. Instead of having to send other buses to pick up the students, we can pick them up all in one group," White said.

Highline Public Schools is still waiting to get four more buses. The electric buses help reduce operating costs of up to 85%.

Environment