Spencerport Central School District

2022:

• New York State legislation: school bus fleets must be 100% zero-emission/electric by 2035. 
• Statewide, voters approved the Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Bond act, including $500 million to support the transition to zero-emission buses.

2025: 

• Spencerport voters rejected  authorization – by a 20-vote margin - to use capital reserves to fund two buses, with the understanding that the reserve would be reimbursed by the above grants. 
• Determining next steps, there were three options: 

1.    Hold a second, community vote on the referendum. 
2.    Take no action. Lose the above funding and shift the financial impact to the district. 
3.    Opt to use general funds for this mandate, not reserves, and not hold a second vote. 
 

The Board of Education unanimously determined that there’s only one viable option to uphold transparency, trust and community voice. Therefore, a new vote will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. in the District Office building, 71 Lyell Ave.

With that information now available, we are returning to voters to seek approval to use reserve funds to purchase two zero-emission buses.

The chart reflects the estimated costs of two zero-emission buses and applies state and federal funding according to Spencerport’s eligible allotments.

Electric Vehicle Incentives:
•    EPA Round 3 Award: $200,000 per bus
•    NYSBIP Vehicle Voucher Stack: $100,000 per bus
•    Total: $300,000 per bus combined incentives

The community will be voting on whether to authorize the use of reserves ($390,000) toward the purchase of two, zero-emission buses. The legal referendum is as follows:

Proposition: Purchase of Zero-Emission Buses

Resolved, the Board of Education of the Spencerport Central School District is hereby authorized to purchase two (2) Zero Emission school buses for the purpose of providing student transportation and ancillary educational purposes, including original equipment and incidental expenses for the foregoing purpose, at a total estimated cost to the School District, after taking into account the Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program and/or New York Bus Incentive Program funding, not to exceed $390,000; which amount shall be funded by the 2023 Bus and Motor Vehicle Reserve Fund?  

Fact or Fiction?

The vote will determine whether the district will buy zero-emission (EV) buses. Fact or fiction?

Fiction. The fact is that New York State has mandated that all districts transition to zero-emission buses by 2035.

Our community is voting on the use of our existing reserve fund to purchase two zero-emission buses. No tax increase. Remain eligible for significant federal and state grant funding.

 

Zero-emission buses are unreliable in cold temperatures. Fact or fiction?

To Be Determined. EV buses function at all temperature ranges. Studies have shown that battery range can decrease in cold weather; however, today’s ESB models can travel 100-200+ miles on a charge and in cold weather range 70-80% and 50-60% in the most extreme circumstances. Longer trips for school activities, athletics or music do not apply, as we contract with charter bus companies for such events.

Side note: the Gates Chili School District has not had any issues with ESBs in the winter.

- Cornell University, NYSERDA, and Gates Chili CSD

ESBs do not really impact the environment and conventional fuel is better. Fact or fiction?

Fiction. In fact, a 2024 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study found that replacing diesel school buses with electric ones can generate up to $247,600 in climate and health benefits per bus. 

According to the American Lung Association, use of electric vehicles will improve student health and reduce greenhouse gases resulting in significantly fewer asthma attacks annually.

- Harvard University, American Lung Association

ESBs do not have the battery range to meet our needs. Fact or fiction?

Fiction. In fact, according to the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the average school bus travels 80 miles a day, even in rural districts, which is achievable with today’s ESBs and will only get better with technology.
 

ESBs have more safety concerns, including risk of fire and overall reliability. Fact or fiction?

Fiction. In fact, bus fires, including for school buses, accounted for only 1% of all vehicle fires in 2021, none of which involved electric school buses.

Further, electric school buses must meet rigorous safety standards, which includes extensive battery testing, structural protections, and automatic electrical disconnects.

- NYSERDA, National Fire Protection
Association, Electric School Bus Initiative and
World Resources Institute
 

ESBs are more difficult to maintain. Fact or fiction?

Fiction. In fact, ESB operators and operators of diesel- and gasoline-fueled buses must adhere to the same federal and state safety requirements and follow similar maintenance recommendations.

Generally, ESBs require less maintenance yet they require certain care regimens to ensure that they run safely and efficiently throughout their lifetimes.

- NYSERDA, School Transportation News

Electric School Buses (ESBs) = Zero-Emission Buses = Electric Vehicle (EV) Buses
These terms and acronyms are often used interchangeably among all state, regional and local agencies. The wording, zero-emission buses, is used in our fleet electrification plan and community referendum. 
 

NY School Bus Incentive Program NYSBIP is a voucher incentive program which will accelerate the deployment of zero-emission school buses and charging infrastructures throughout New York State. A total of $500 million is available for this implementation.

Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus Program (EPA CSB rebates) is federally-funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, providing $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) to replace existing school buses with zero-emission school buses.

A Fleet Electrification Plan (FEP) is a roadmap to electrify a school district’s entire school bus fleet by 2035. This includes a comprehensive evaluation of existing operations and electrical capabilities. The plan will serve as a blueprint to help districts make informed decisions about bus and infrastructure purchases and installations. Completing a FEP also unlocks additional funding for electric school buses and chargers, prepares fleet owners to apply for incentives, and prepares school districts to meet their Education Law 3638 reporting requirements.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provides resources, technical expertise, analysis, and funding to school districts to complete FEPs.

• Electric School Bus overview, NYSERDA
• NY School Bus Incentive program overview (website), NYSERDA. Overview of funding program, with tables showing how much funding is available for buses and chargers based on different factors.
• Electric School Bus guidebook, NYSERDA. Covers key topics for school districts.
• Electric School Bus content library (website), NYSERDA.