District Moving Ahead On Electric Bus Grant

The Crawford County R-1 School District is moving ahead ahead to apply for a grant that would add electric buses to its fleet.

During the Dec. 19 meeting, Justin Blanton, the bus mechanic, presented information to the board on the Clean Bus Grant.

The program is moving into a third round, which is a rebate.

Blanton said in his notes to the board that that the rebate is done on a lottery system with a drawing. 

The deadline is Jan. 31 and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will notify applicants in April. 

According to Blanton, the district must have buses of model year 2010 or older diesel-powered buses slated for scrapping.

Fleets without eligible buses may opt for zero-emission bus replacements by scrapping 2010 or older non-diesel buses or 2011 or newer buses.

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) must be 10,001 pounds or more.

The buses also must be operational at the time of application submission, capable of starting, moving in all directions and having all operational parts.

The buses must have provided service to a public school district at least three days per week on average during the 2022-23 school year at the application time. Any emergency-related closures are excluded.

Blanton wrote to the board that applicants may also apply for infrastructure, including installation and equipment from the electrical meter to the charging port of the bus. 

Funds cannot be used for costs associated with work in front of the electric meter.

Blanton said the rebate is for $345,000, “noticeably lower than the grant in round 2.” It also doesn’t include additional funding for infrastructure, but Blanton said it shouldn’t deter the district from applying.

Bourbon would need two charging stations, according to Blanton, who said the would cost $25,096 each.

The district would qualify for a commercial clean vehicle credit valued at $40,000, which would cover “a significant portion” of the charging stations, Blanton said.