Zero emission school buses are coming to Derry

DERRY — The future of school buses is electric, and thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant, most of the district’s diesel fleet will be replaced with new battery-powered buses.

The Derry School District and its transportation provider, First Student, celebrated receiving an $8.6 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Buses program. The money collected was used to purchase 25 zero-emission school buses for the district.

“This is a step forward,” said Superintendent Austin Garofalo. “We’re all looking at hybrids or electric vehicles. The fact that they can do it by bus is just amazing.”

Local and state officials, school district employees, and representatives from the EPA and First Student gathered outside West Running Brook Intermediate School on Wednesday to celebrate a clean future for school buses.

The event was attended by students from the school’s Child Care Club, an organization working for the local community. Three students shared how excited they were to use the new buses.

“I think it’s really cool that our school is doing something to help the environment,” said Henry Fournier, a sixth-grade student. “I am proud to be part of a school that cares about the future.”

David Cash, the Environmental Protection Agency’s New England regional administrator, said the new buses will be better for everyone.

“Again, this is about your future and your health,” Cash told the students. “This new bus will help protect your health, be better for bus drivers, better for teachers and better for the school district.”

In May, the EPA and First Student announced that Derry would receive a grant and 25 zero-emission school buses. The program provided $31 million for New Hampshire to purchase 110 new school buses.

Derry received the most money of any New Hampshire community that applied and tied with Pembroke to receive the most school buses.

School Board chairman David Clapp said it was one less thing for Derry taxpayers to worry about.

“Funding education in New Hampshire is difficult, and when you receive grants like this, every penny counts,” Clapp said. “We usually try to find a way to alleviate problems. Now we have something where we won the lottery and it’s amazing.”

Clifton Dancy, director of information services and transportation coordinator for the school district, said he was proud to celebrate such an extraordinary moment for the district.

“We are very pleased to have received the largest grant in New Hampshire – over $8.6 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Bus Rebate Program,” Dancy said. “This generous funding will enable us to purchase 25 zero-emission buses. For comparison: we have 29 buses, of which 25 will be electric.

Student representatives were the first to state that the goal is to have electric buses on the road in the 2025-26 school year.

Ben Henry, First Student’s general manager for northern New England, said the money will go toward upgrading the First Student bus station in Derry to accommodate new buses, including adding vehicle charging points.

The new buses were part of a bipartisan initiative championed by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. and U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who also spoke at the ceremony.

“It’s about making sure we’re meeting the needs of our communities,” Pappas said. “There are health benefits, energy benefits and costs. So it’s a win-win situation for both sides.”

Hassan said this is a moment where Derry residents don’t have to choose between caring for the environment and caring for their wallets. She said this is the only time her constituents can have both options.

“This is also one of those examples where it’s not just about choosing between cost and the environment. This both solves the problem of climate change and reduces costs,” Hassan said. “It’s about saving money and investing in the future. It’s a really, really good day for Derry and New Hampshire and our country.”