Dec 30, 2024
OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Business Manager Matt Miller described the district’s electric bus capabilities at a recent Board of Education meeting.
SILVER CREEK — School districts across New York State are all in the same boat with the mandate that all school buses be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The Silver Creek Central School District recently evaluated how feasible that mandate really is for the District and how it can position itself in the best position to comply with the State’s demands.
At a recent Board of Education meeting, Business Manager Matt Miller spoke to the mandates and the District’s preparedness.
“We are in the process of getting to that point and looking in the future at how we are going to make that mandate,” Miller said.
The District has already formulated an electrification plan through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and CPL: Architecture, Engineering, and Planning over the past year.
“Most schools have only started the process through New York, so the fact that we have already completed our electrification plan and we have started working towards purchasing, we are ahead of the game right now,” Miller said.
The District currently has 26 buses in its fleet, 17 of which are large Type-C buses that seat 44 middle/high school students or 66 elementary students. The smaller Type-A buses have exactly half the seating capacity of the larger buses. The District also has three buses that are wheelchair accessible, which seat 16 middle/high school students or 24 elementary students.
Silver Creek regularly utilizes 16 buses throughout the average school day, while nine buses rotate for field trips, extracurricular activities, and in place of buses undergoing scheduled maintenance.
As the District’s buses advance in their lifespan, the District is evaluating the most responsible way to replace its current fleet with the State mandate approaching. In addition to the mandate that all school buses on the road must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, New York State’s current legislation also requires all new school buses purchased in the state to be zero-emission by 2027.
If current mandates remain in place, Miller stated it is the District’s goal to begin overhauling its fleet three vehicles at a time, beginning in 2026-27.
Silver Creek typically purchases a new bus each year, with recent exceptions in 2021 and 2023. Last year, voters approved the District to purchase one electric school bus, which would be the first of its kind at Silver Creek. Nearby districts such as Pine Valley and Lake Shore have already purchased electric buses, as well.
Electric buses cost approximately $200,000 more than a conventional diesel school bus, the Lake Shore Central School District told The OBSERVER at the time of the District’s first electric vehicle’s purchase. Along with that cost is the infrastructure required to house and maintain electric vehicles.
Silver Creek budgeted for the already-approved purchase and a charger through its vehicle reserve. The District is also considered a priority district and receives aid from the State toward such purchases. Electric buses typically arrive 18 months after being ordered, with the first of Silver Creek’s purchases expected by June 2026.
At Silver Creek, under its current infrastructure, the District has the capacity through its electrical system to power three electric buses. If the District surpasses three electric buses, a new transformer will need to be purchased at the District’s expense.
The Village’s electrical capacity will also be reevaluated and other bus garage upgrades will also be necessary if the District purchases more than three electric buses. The long-term upgrades required to house and maintain multiple electric buses will likely surpass $1 million in cost.
Miller believes the District will be able to comply with the current mandates by following the plan as it was presented.
The next meeting of the Silver Creek Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 9.
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