At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, the Little Rock School District unveiled a fleet of electric school buses to give children with disabilities and impairments more affordable, healthier, and environmentally friendly transportation.
One of the biggest school bus manufacturers in the industry, Blue Bird Corporation, located in Georgia, constructed the 25 buses using a $9 million grant that LRSD received from the Environmental Protection Agency. On Monday, the first day of classes after summer vacation, the busses will be ready.
First Student, a school bus operator and contractor that provides transportation for district children without special needs, is planning to add another 25 electric buses to the Little Rock fleet. For their electric buses, First Student was also awarded a grant from the EPA. LRSD will have one of the biggest fleets of electric school buses in the nation once all 50 buses are operational.
This goes beyond simply constructing more buses. According to Superintendent Jermall Wright, it’s about doing what’s best for our children and our community. As a first step toward a healthier, greener future, we are pleased to present Blue Bird’s electric school buses. Reduced pollution, better air, and a greater dedication to the welfare of our children and the communities we serve are all benefits of every mile our buses travel.
At the ceremony, Blue Bird Corporation president Albert Burleigh and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. also spoke. Scott praised the city’s own initiatives to electrify its fleet of cars. “We must do everything we can to reduce harmful emissions because we are major contributors to climate change, which is real,” the mayor stated.
According to Burleigh, the school district would save about 60 cents per mile by using electric buses. Additionally, since school buses travel 10,000 miles annually on average, each vehicle would save almost $6,000. 25 diesel buses might be replaced with electric ones, saving about $150,000 annually.
It has also been demonstrated that pupils who ride electric buses are healthier, with less cases of asthma and other respiratory conditions.
When compared to the diesel buses they are replacing, the new buses were almost silent during a test trip. During the ride-along, Burleigh described how the buses can accommodate 69 children each, travel 130 miles on a single charge, and be fully charged in two hours.
The district’s project was led by Linda Young, LRSD grants director. “I’m grateful for the support we’ve had and for the courage of our leadership to step out,” she added after witnessing the project’s eventual completion. When we started our investigation, we discovered that other districts were only operating one or two buses, but we declared our intention to operate twenty-five. We were able to pay for them thanks to the funds, and I’m eager to see how they benefit our children and the community.
It’s dragon-slaying time!
The Arkansas Times, which relentlessly defends the fundamental rights and liberties in our community, stands as a light of truth in an era when critical voices are being silenced more and more. Our commitment to provide uncompromising journalism has never been more important, especially with Arkansas in the center of a broad culture war that is impacting our libraries, schools, and public conversation. We can’t accomplish our goals of defeating dragons and holding those in positions of authority responsible alone. You can guarantee that independent journalism in Arkansas not only endures but flourishes by making a contribution today. We can join the fight and make a difference together.
