Bethlehem, PA – April 12, 2024 – Senator Lisa Boscola today joined officials from the Bethlehem Area School District and PPL as BASD unveiled two new electric buses that was secured thanks to a $1 million state grant that she secured.
“I could not be more excited to be a stones throw away from my alma mater, Freedom High School, to celebrate the start of a new era of transportation for the Bethlehem Area School District,” Boscola stated. “Our students win, our taxpayers win, and our environment wins with a steady transition away from diesel buses to electric buses.”
The grant funds paid for the two electric vehicles, chargers and installation of the chargers. BASD will be the first school district in the Lehigh Valley to roll electric buses. Across the Commonwealth, there are a handful of EV buses on the road, including a district in Chester County as well at a district outside Harrisburg.
“Bethlehem Area School District is proud to be the first school district in the Lehigh Valley to put EV buses on the road and we cannot thank Senator Boscola more for her leadership in this accomplishment,” stated Dr. Jack Silva, Superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District. “We see the future in an electric bus fleet and today we take another step in forward in achieving that goal, which will bring about dramatic reductions in vehicle exhaust.”
“While moving to electric school buses makes sense, they are not cheap,” Boscola added. “I didn’t believe local taxpayers should bear the entire burden of this new opportunity, which is why I wanted to direct some state dollars to help the school district with the project.”
Boscola also noted that electric vehicles provide cost savings as they generally require less maintenance and BASD can reduce its diesel purchases.
“BASD is the 6th largest school district in Pennsylvania. It covers an enormous geographic area, and a substantial portion of its students ride buses to and from school, athletic events and field trips, so working to responsibly convert these diesel buses to EV’s just made sense,” Boscola further stated.
The $1 million grant was funded through the PA Department of Education’s Job Training and Education Programs Grant.
###