GLADES COUNTY, Fla — Glades County students are riding into the future with brand-new electric school buses - and for the first time, they’ll beat the Florida heat because these buses have air conditioning!
Fox 4’s Hendry County Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski works in these rural communities every day, so he was there last year when this plan first rolled out. Now, the district called him back for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to see these buses finally hit the road.
Watch Austin's report here:
A big moment for Glades County - leaders and school officials celebrated as the ribbon was snipped. Thirteen new electric buses are replacing more than half the district’s aging fleet, some more than 20 years old!
For Superintendent Beth Barfield, this is a milestone years in the making. “I’m really excited! It’s really amazing to see the progression of when this all began,” Barfield said. “You came out, you covered us when we were at the old bus barn and we were showing you how poor our fleet really was and how we needed to modernize badly.”
To make this happen, the district landed a Clean Air Act grant to cover the cost of the entire fleet. And get this—they say all 13 electric buses purchased from Highland Electric Fleets costed less than just one diesel bus.
Highland Electric Fleets CEO Duncan McIntyre says ditching diesel means healthier air for students and fuel costs dropping from 70 cents to 20 cents a gallon.
“Another benefit is the simplicity of the engine and the simplicity of the system,” McIntyre said. “Very few moving parts. So you don’t have oil changes. You don’t have exhaust systems that break.”
And these upgrades don’t just benefit the district and students. Drivers like Roberta Moore say a comfortable, air-conditioned ride creates a better start to the school day for everyone.
“If you think about it, we’re the first smiling faces, or we’re that get on that bus!” Moore said. “But usually, we’re the first smiling faces they see, and we set the tone for the day.”
Safety is also getting an upgrade—with new 360° cameras and an alarm system to ensure no child is ever left behind.
“I wanted to make sure that we’re doing what’s best for our students, and we will continue to push the envelope,” Barfield said.
