TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School Board approved the purchase of 20 electric school buses that will save the district millions.
The district submitted a grant to offset the costs of electric buses and was awarded money to replace 20 diesel buses with 20 electric buses, explained Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres.
The grant is from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Grant, which they applied for in August 2023. In February, the district was awarded the funding.
“These buses will serve specific inner-city routes to our underserved communities,” Ayres said, which is part of the guidelines of the grant.
The district will save more than $4 million, according to the school board meeting agenda.
“Electric school buses and newer buses will continue to lower the district’s carbon footprint with newer and cleaner engine technology,” Ayres said.