Yesterday, the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) and its school transportation provider, Durham School Services (DSS), unveiled the school district’s brand-new fleet of 25 electric school buses and 25 newly installed Tellus chargers. 

The buses are the district's first electric buses, and will begin transporting students this spring. The 25 new electric school buses are made up of 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C vehicles. 

The investment was possible thanks to partnerships and support from Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, and Southern California Edison. Funds were awarded through the first round of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program. CUSD was also awarded funds by the EPA for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.

“These new electric buses are an investment in our students’ future—providing safe, clean transportation as they pursue their dreams,” said Dr. Darin Brawley, Superintendent of Compton Unified School District. “Just as we are committed to sustainability, we are also committed to academic excellence, ranking No. 1 in LA county for graduation rates and No. 1 in the state among comparably sized districts. Compton Unified will continue leading the way to ensure our scholars have every opportunity to succeed.” 

“We are able to celebrate this new EV chapter in Durham and CUSD’s deep-rooted 20+ year partnership thanks to the EPA grant, and our mutual ambition in driving this transition early. I can’t stress enough about how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO, Durham School Services. “Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to our local team of drivers, technicians, General Manager Wendy, and countless other team members, whom, without, this project would not have been possible or even half as successful. I look forward to seeing the new heights we’ll reach over the next few years as we continue our partnership with CUSD.”

In preparation for the new EV buses beginning service this spring, hands-on training for technicians were held in January of this year. The two-day sessions were led by Durham School Services maintenance leaders, Thomas Built Buses, Highland Electric Fleets, and Optimal EV, and covered topics related to EV safety, charging stations, and operations.

At a ribbon-cutting event on Feb. 26, attendees had the opportunity to tour and ride the buses. In attendance were local councilmembers, district administration, board members, community members, and key partners.