One of the new buses next to Moore Haven Middle- High School. [Photo courtesy the Moore Agency]

MOORE HAVEN- The Glades County School District has received 13 new electric buses thanks to a $5.1 million grant.  

"We're excited to celebrate the arrival of 13 new electric school buses in Glades County,” said Dr. Beth Barfield, Superintendent of Glades County School District. “These state-of-the-art buses represent a significant advancement for our district, offering students a much more comfortable transportation experience in the extreme Florida heat. This milestone is a chance to bring our community together and recognize the teamwork and dedication that brought this project to life.” 

The school district added 13 industry-leading electric school electric buses to its fleet, providing students with a cleaner, healthier form of transportation, while also offering air conditioning for the first time to the majority of students.  The buses were supplied by Blue Bird Corporation, a manufacture based out of Georgia. 

“We are thrilled to supply Glades County School District with our industry-leading electric school buses,” said Brad Beauchamp, EV Product Segment Leader at Blue Bird Corporation. “Moving forward, most Glades County students will enjoy clean and air-conditioned rides to and from school daily. We applaud the school district for investing in 'clean & cool' school buses putting student health and comfort first.”   

Glades Schools says that the new school bus fleet will result in long-term cost savings for the district, as electric buses are known for their lower operating and maintenance costs compared to traditional diesel-powered vehicles. The buses benefit the district in the short term but will also pave the way for more sustainable and efficient transportation practices in the years to come.   

The Glades County School District will still maintain several diesel buses for longer distances, however, the majority of routes will be covered by electrical buses.   

The school district received a grant of nearly $5 million through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) highly effective Clean School Bus Rebate Program to purchase its Blue Bird electric school bus fleet. This program is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which provides a total of $5 billion over five years for clean school bus transportation nationwide. The EPA has already awarded nearly $3 billion through the landmark bipartisan initiative. The program to date will enable more than 1,300 school districts nationwide to replace old diesel buses with nearly 9,000 electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.