Red Lake School District #38 Welcomes First Electric Buses

Red Lake School District #38 in Minnesota has added two electric school buses and chargers to its fleet. 

The buses are Blue Bird Type C's, the first EV buses for the school. The rest of the district's fleet runs on diesel.

The district is the only public school district in the state on a sovereign tribal nation. And now, it has become one of the first in the country with a 98% indigenous population to utilize funding from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. 

The buses come from a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets. The electrification provider works with its OEMs and dealers to ensure that all selected buses will meet route requirements, regardless of climate. "Having deployed electric school bus fleets in cold climates like South Burlington, Vt., and in the sweltering Florida heat, Highland has demonstrated that all types of communities can benefit from the switch to electric school buses," said Brian Buccella, chief commercial officer, Highland Electric Fleets. "In addition, Highland works closely with our customers to deploy effective preheating strategies, and in severe cases, upgrade specifications of the vehicles to include things like additional bulkhead and floor insulation. All these efforts make electrification possible in the extreme winter conditions of northern Minnesota."

The move to electric buses reflects the district’s commitment to energy transformation, as well as honoring its cultural heritage. The school teaches the Ojibwe language, Ojibwemowin, and honors ancestral customs as they use sustainable transportation technology.

“As an educational institution, our priority is to provide learning opportunities for students and community members in as many ways as we can,” said Tim Lutz, Red Lake School's superintendent. “We achieve this goal through standardized curricula, but also through the utilization of best practices in energy utilization and sustainability, while also teaching students about future career opportunities in cutting-edge fields both on and from the Red Lake Nation. We are very proud of our efforts resulting in acquiring our two electric school buses, and we are confident the buses will serve us well.”

The district’s new electric buses will help transport approximately 50 students each. With the necessary infrastructure in place, the electric buses can obtain an average range of 110 miles throughout the year with a full midday charge. The two buses are expected to travel a total of approximately 10,000 miles annually.

"Enabling smaller, rural districts like Red Lake Schools with equitable solutions for their buses proves that electrification can be simple, accessible and affordable for all," Buccella said. "Our view is this technology is truly for everyone, and we want to support an array of communities to help make that a reality."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Sept. 27 to launch the new buses at Red Lake Elementary School. The event included Ojibwe traditions, keynote speakers from Red Lake Nation, government officials, and a student from Red Lake. Attendees had the opportunity to take a short ride on one of the new electric buses.