Harder Congratulates Modesto City Schools for Electrifying 30 School Buses
New buses will decrease air pollution, save the school district more than $250,000 per year, and help the Valley do its part to fight climate change
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Josh Harder congratulated Modesto City Schools for its decision to replace thirty of its fifteen-year-old diesel-powered school buses with state of the art electric buses. Blue Bird, the manufacturer of the electric buses, said Modesto City Schools’ purchase represents the single largest order of electric school buses in its history.
“I know what it feels like growing up with childhood asthma, being more worried about my inhaler than my homework. This announcement is a huge step forward toward saving a whole generation of Modesto kids from that same experience,” said Rep. Harder. “By electrifying thirty of our buses we’re ensuring our kids breathe cleaner air each morning, saving hundreds of thousands in taxpayer dollars each year, and doing our part to fight climate change. It’s a win-win-win and I couldn’t be more proud that it’s happening right here in our community.”
More than 3,000 students in Modesto take the bus to school each day. These electric buses will dramatically cut down on student’s exposure to exhaust fumes which are linked to both poor repertory health to lower test scores. TIME magazinereports that children often breathe the most polluted air they experience all day inside their school bus.
School Transportation News online also detailed the significant savings Modesto City Schools will benefit from after their purchase of the electric buses. “School district customers report fuel costs of up to 49 cents per mile for their diesel buses, compared to an average of 14 cents per mile in energy costs for electric buses,” the report said. “Modesto expects to save $250,000 per year by eliminating fueling half the fleet. And as diesel fuel has gotten more expensive since the war in Ukraine, the comparative savings for electric buses has only grown.”
Last year, Rep. Harder voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Act which included $5 billion for electric and lower emissions school buses nationwide.
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