First Student, Westville School District Celebrate Upcoming Deployment of 15 Electric School Buses

New school buses will replace diesel buses, providing cleaner, quieter, and safer rides to school; First Student's First Charge system allows for accelerated EV deployment.

WESTVILLE, Ill., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Student, the trusted school transportation provider to millions of families and industry leader in school bus electrification, today joined the Westville School District for a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the upcoming deployment of 15 new electric school buses. The event included a ride-along in an electric school bus for those in attendance. Westville School District Superintendent Dr. Seth Miller and Kevin McNamara, First Student Senior Director of Charging, spoke at the ribbon cutting.

First Student, the transportation provider for Westville School District, will replace 15 of the district's diesel-fueled buses with new, emissions-free electric buses, including 14 Type C IC buses and 1 Type-A Microbird. This fleet update was made possible through the EPA's Clean School Bus Program funding. Westville will use First Charge, First Student's innovative above-ground charging solution, to support the transition. First Charge eliminates the need for trenching, significantly reducing construction time and costs by up to 50%. Its flexible, expansion-ready design empowers districts and other medium- to heavy-duty operators to scale their electric fleets more efficiently, adapting easily as fleet sizes grow.

"Electric school buses provide cleaner, quieter, and safer rides to school for students, and we are thrilled to partner with the Westville School District to make this a reality for this community," said Kevin McNamara, First Student Senior Director of Charging. "First Student is leading the way in electrifying America's school buses because our mission is to provide the safest and most reliable student transportation. We thank our partners in the Westville School District for trusting us as we continue to improve rides for all students."

Electric school buses dramatically improve air quality in and around schools. Replacing just one diesel school bus with an electric school bus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54,000 pounds annually.  

"The Westville School District is proud to have secured funding from the Clean School Bus Program and to be able to work with First Student to bring these 15 electric school buses to our community," said Dr. Seth Miller, Westville School District Superintendent. "Fiscally and environmentally smart choices for a cleaner, greener, and cost efficient solutions are the cornerstone of our work as educational leaders.  Electric school buses are just one way to we are investing in the future of our children at Westville."

First Student has secured more than $400 million in funding from the EPA's Clean School Bus Program for school districts across the country to assist with replacing fossil fuel-powered school buses with zero-emissions school buses. The funding is enough to secure around 1,200 electric school buses for districts across the United States.

First Student also partnered with Ameren, the power utility in the area, which covered the costs of the transformer, the installation of the transformer, and any upgrades needed on the utility side.

"We applaud First Student and Westville School District leaders for their decision to electrify their school bus fleet and deliver the health, safety, and environmental benefits to their students and the broader community," said Andy Parker, Director of Clean Energy Transition, Strategy and Policy for Ameren Illinois. "With the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), it will be critical for Ameren Illinois to modernize the electric grid to prepare for the increased customer demand, including electric vehicles. It is rewarding to play a role in working with local partners to make these innovations happen."

First Student recently marked 4 million miles driven by its electric school buses. The company has 390 electric school buses across North America with an additional 2,000 under contract. By the end of this school year, First Student will pass 6 million electric miles driven and will reduce carbon emissions by 12,550 tons. First Student has committed to transitioning 30,000 of its diesel buses to electric by 2035.

B-ROLL/RESOURCES: Video showcases First Student's electric school bus fleet.

About First Student
As North America's leading school transportation solutions provider, First Student strives to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school to 5.5 million students daily. With a team of highly trained drivers, the company will complete 1 billion student trips during the 2024-25 school year. First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 45,000 buses.

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SOURCE First Student