BVSD, Boulder Prep Charter receive state grants to buy electric buses
Aug. 28—The Boulder Valley School District plans to double its fleet of electric buses through a state grant of up to $3.8 million as it works toward climate and clean air goals.
Colorado's $65 million electric school bus grant program was created by a state law approved last school year that's aimed at improving air quality. Grants in the first round were awarded to 13 projects for more than $24 million in combined state and federal funding. The grants support bus purchases, conversions, charging infrastructure and the cost of scrapping old buses.
Boulder Valley's grant is expected to cover the cost for 10 electric buses at $394,497 each, plus 10 charging stations at $5,500 each. The exact amount of the grant is still being determined.
After the purchase, Boulder Valley will have a total of 19 electric buses, which officials say are are quieter, don't produce fumes, save on gas and cost less to maintain. Plus, because they're so much quieter, bus drivers report better student behavior because they're not yelling over the sound of the engine.
"I'm excited," said Rob Price, Boulder Valley's assistant superintendent of operations. "The purchase aligns with our sustainability action plan. As a sustainable energy source, it makes a lot of sense."
Boulder Prep, a small charter high school in Gunbarrel, also received a grant through the state's electric school bus program. The grant will go toward the cost of buying two electric buses to replace two gas-powered vans that will no longer be compliant with state law as of 2025. The school also plans to add two charging stations.
Along with the state grant, Boulder Prep is applying for an Xcel Energy rebate of up to $275,000 toward the total project cost of $635,000.
Boulder Prep is the second Boulder Valley charter school to add electric buses. Peak to Peak, a 1,450-student K-12 charter school in Lafayette, is leasing a four-bus fleet through Highland Electric Fleets.
Boulder Valley added its first electric bus to its fleet of about 200 buses in March 2021. The district bought the $380,000 bus with the help of a $200,000 ALT Fuels Colorado grant from the Regional Air Quality Council.
The district purchased another five electric buses through a combination of a Colorado Regional Air Quality Council grant and money from the district's capital reserve fund, at a total cost of about $1.9 million. Along with its six current electric buses, another three are on order and expected to arrive before the end of the year for a total of nine.
For each electric bus the district acquires, a 2006 or earlier diesel bus is scrapped.
Price said the district has determined it can support a total of about 40 electric buses. With a travel range of about 120 miles, he said, the district doesn't use electric buses for the mountain schools, field trips or athletics.
