Beecher Community Schools will receive $1.525 million to replace its existing diesel-fueled bus fleet with five new electric buses.

U.S. Rep Dan Kildee, D-Flint Twp., joined Beecher Superintendent Richard Klee and others to make the announcement during a virtual news conference on Wednesday, March 1.

The Beecher superintendent announced that it was chosen to receive EPA grant funding allocated by the state to purchase electric school buses to cut pollution and promote clean energy. Funding includes enough money to also purchase an electric charging station for the buses, Klee said.

There are several advantages to electric buses, including but not limited to; being more environmentally friendly, no gas or diesel emissions, easy refueling, noise reduction, lower maintenance and running costs, Klee said. “This grant will allow the Beecher Community School district to continue to bounce back from local economic hits,” Klee said.

Michigan has received $54 million to go towards electric bus purchases at 25 public school districts. Beecher was chosen as one of the 25 districts to receive funding.

Most buses are powered by diesel engines which emit harmful pollution directly into the air, according to a news release from the Climate Action Campaign.

Susan Mudd, a senior policy advocate at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, along with Elizabeth Hauptman, MI field coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force, joined the news conference to discuss the importance of programs that cut harmful pollution. Transportation is the leading source of carbon pollution in the United States, Mudd said.

After replacing its diesel bus fleet with five electric buses, Beecher students and neighbors will experience better air quality in Genesee County and across the state. “These investments in electric school buses address a critical need to protect our children’s lungs, prioritize their health and that of their communities,” Mudd said.

By:  Dylan Goetz | MLive