Loudoun School Seeks to Expand Electric Bus Fleet

The School Board’s Finance and Operations Committee on Thursday voted 2-0 to recommend that the full board apply for the EPA Clean School Bus Grant Program. 

If the grant is awarded, Loudoun County Public Schools will be able to purchase 25 new electric school busses. The additional buses would add to the electric school bus pilot program Loudoun County Public Schools has in place.

During phase one of the pilot program, the school division has been operating five electric 77-passenger Thomas Type-C electric school buses that were funded through a partnership with Dominion Energy. As part of that partnership, Dominion also provided five fast charging stations that are at the Park View High School bus lot.

Phase two began with the award of $1,442,244 from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Round 1 Clean School Bus Grant Program for six 81-passenger Blue Bird Type D electric buses and six AC Level 2 Chargers. Those six buses will be based at Cardinal Ridge Elementary School. They are expected to be delivered and in operation this November.

Phase three of the electric bus program was when the district was also awarded $2,520,000 from Round 2 of the Virginia DEQ Clean School Bus Grant Program for another 10 electric school buses. 

Five of those 81-passenger Blue Bird Type D buses with five chargers will be based at Cardinal Ridge Elementary School. The other five 71-passenger IC long range Type C buses with five chargers will be based at Emerick Elementary School. 

If the school division is awarded the EPA Clean School Bus Grant, 15 more buses will be based at the central garage. The application for the EPA Clean School Bus Grant Program is due on Aug. 19. 

Tom Marshall (Leesburg) was absent for the vote.