Worcester Public Schools Begins Electric Bus Rollout

Worcester Public Schools has announced the beginning of a rollout of 20 electric school buses next week. The first two new electric buses were expected to enter service on Monday, March 2, with two buses added each subsequent day until all 20 are in service, said Mike Freeman, administrative director of operations at Worcester Public Schools.

Initial routes for the electric buses will cover shorter, near-yard runs to ease deployment. They will serve South High, Worcester Tech, Rice Square, Thorndyke, and Jacob Hiatt schools.

“The Worcester Public Schools remains a statewide leader in school bus transportation, and adding electric buses is a natural extension of that,” said Superintendent Brian E. Allen in a press release shared with MassLive. “This is a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a better environment for the children we serve.”

MassLive reported that safety training for drivers and staff was conducted with the Worcester Fire and Police Departments during February school vacation week to ensure a safe rollout.

The new electric buses will be stationed in the district's bus yard at 115 Northeast Cutoff. There, 10 chargers serve the 20 buses, with each charger equipped with two cables.

According to a Telegram & Gazette report, the electric bus rollout project is funded by a $5.4 million federal EPA grant for buses. A separate Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grant supported the buses' infrastructure.

Per a Worcester Public Schools statement, electric buses reduce tailpipe emissions, which benefits students with asthma, and are designed to deliver a smoother ride. Additionally, electric buses are expected to cost about half as much to maintain as diesel buses and can travel up to 100 miles per charge.

Worcester Public Schools officials said there is no plan to replace its full 136-bus fleet with electric buses right away. The pilot launch of the electric buses will guide future implementation decisions.