Glades County School District Welcomes New, Modernized Electric School Buses
Electric buses provide students with a cleaner, healthier form of transportation, while also offering air conditioning for the first time to the majority of students
MOORE HAVEN, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Glades County School District (GCSD) has introduced 13 industry-leading electric school buses to its fleet for the 2024-2025 school year. The new electric school buses will replace more than half of the district’s outdated diesel buses—some of which have been in operation for more than 25 years. The district will now benefit from the cleaner, quieter rides and cost savings that electric school buses provide. In addition, all new electric buses offer much-needed air conditioning. Until now, only three buses in the district’s fleet provided air conditioning, leaving most students to endure daily rides in the intense Florida heat unabated.
Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, supplied the 13 Type C Vision electric-powered school buses to GCSD. The company’s electric school buses generate no emissions and can carry approximately 77 students up to 120 miles on a single charge.
GCSD partnered with Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) for school bus fleets in North America, as its electrification partner to support its fleet modernization and infrastructure upgrades. With lower fuel consumption and reduced maintenance costs, the district anticipates substantial savings in its transportation budget. School districts have reported paying a mere 19 cents per mile in energy costs for electric buses compared to fuel costs of up to 79 cents per mile for their diesel buses.
“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.”
“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.”
“At Highland Electric Fleets, we’re proud to partner with Glades County Schools in bringing the benefits of electric buses to their students and community,” said Duncan McIntyre, CEO of Highland Electric Fleets. “This shift represents not just a technological upgrade, but an investment in student well-being. We are excited to help lead this transformation and deliver lasting value for both the district and its students.”
GCSD 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.
Blue Bird is the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer in the United States. The company remains the proven clean transportation leader with more than 2,000 electric-powered, zero-emission school buses in operation today.
GCSD purchased its advanced electric vehicles through Florida Transportation Systems, Inc., Blue Bird’s authorized school bus dealer in Tampa, Fla.
About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer, and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.
About Glades County School District
Glades County School District consists of three schools – West Glades School (PK – 8th), Moore Haven Middle High School (6th – 8th), and Moore Haven Elementary School (PK-5). The mission of the district, administration, teachers, and staff is to focus all students on achievement, attendance, respect and values through positive student, parent, and community involvement. For more information, visit www.gladesedu.org.
About Highland Electric Fleets
Highland Electric Fleets is the leading provider of electrification-as-a-service for school districts, governments, and fleet operators in North America. Founded in 2019, Highland offers a unique suite of products that make it simple and affordable to upgrade to electric fleets today. Active in 30 states and Canada, Highland is responsible for the first use of electric school buses in a commercial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program and the largest electric school bus project in the United States to date. To learn more, visit www.highlandfleets.com.
Contacts
Media Contacts
Blue Bird
Julianne Barclay
TSN Communications
M: +1.267.934.5340
E: julianne@tsncommunications.com
Glades County School District
Dr. Alice E. Barfield
Superintendent of Schools
E: Beth.Barfield@Glades-Schools.org
Highland Electric Fleets
Chris Orlando
PR Lead
Highland Electric Fleets
M: +1.508.468.9802
