Author: Jonathon Norcross

BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa School District may soon purchase its first electric school bus.

The district’s school board is set to vote on a proposition at their next meeting on April 2 that would allow the district to buy a zero-emission bus to the tune of $273,000. 

The actual cost of the vehicle is $481,000, but grant money provided by New York State would pay for roughly half that amount. Despite the state-provided funds, the cost of the electric bus would still be about $100,000 more than a traditional bus, Clerk of the Board and Records Access Officer Brian Sirianni said during the board’s March 19 meeting.

Sirianni also said he would be “surprised” if the state has enough money to continue to pay for a portion of all the electric buses required to transition all fleets in the state to zero-emission by 2035. 

The lone electric bus purchased by Ballston Spa would be used as a sort of pilot program to allow mechanics, drivers, and other staffers to become accustomed to EVs. Acquiring a bus would also allow the district to test out its range once fully charged.

“The bus companies will say, just like the car companies will say, ‘this has a range of 300 miles.’ But does it really? The answer is generally no it does not,” Sirianni said. “It’s significantly less than that, and it’s more significantly less than that when it’s cold.”

The district still hopes that the state government will delay the 2027 deadline, when all school districts are required to begin transitioning their fleets to electric vehicles.

“The longer it gets delayed, the better the buses will be,” Sirianni said. “And hopefully they won’t cost as much.” 

Sirianni estimated that it could cost more than $2 million to acquire bus chargers. Overall, the district has around 80 buses that would need to be replaced by EVs.

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), although electric buses cost more to purchase, they are cheaper to operate and maintain.  

“The initial cost of an [electric school bus] may be offset by state and federal assistance, and by lower fueling costs and less maintenance requirements over the bus’s useful life,” NYSERDA says. “Annual maintenance and operations savings vary but can range from a few thousand dollars to more than $10,000 per bus, per year.”

According to New York State’s Electric School Bus Roadmap report, “the total cost of [zero-emission school bus] ownership is expected to reach parity by 2027 due to advances in battery technology, increased supply chain outputs, as well as lower fuel and maintenance expenses.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Amidst the ongoing turmoil created by the nationwide school bus driver shortage, the Saratoga Springs City School District has increased its driver rates from $22.15 per hour to $25.15 per hour. The new rate will be effective starting July 1, per the approved CSEA contract.

According to the district, its bus driver positions come with guaranteed annual increases through 2030, full health insurance (or a $4,000 annual buyout), a New York State retirement pension, and paid training.

School bus driver shortages have been an issue both locally and across the country. Data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) indicates that from September 2019 to September 2023, there was a 15.1% decrease in the total number of K-12 bus drivers nationwide. 

According to the EPI, school bus driver wages are typically lower than most other workers. Drivers earned an average of $20 per hour in 2022, which is nearly 17% less than the median wage for all workers. Drivers only work an average of around 32 hours per week, which means their weekly wages are also below average. Many drivers also don’t work during summers, which further decreases their yearly income.

At a Saratoga Springs Board of Education meeting in December, Paul Overbaugh, a former state director of pupil transportation for the New York State Education Department, pushed back against the idea that higher wages would solve the driver shortage. 

“If someone was going to be motivated by a salary increase, it’s only going to be temporary,” Overbaugh said at the meeting. “I mean, it helps, don’t get me wrong…but it’s not going to be the end all, be all. Really, there needs to be a paradigm shift in our communities to want to do something for the good of our district.”

School Board Vice President Tony Krackeler said he respectfully disagreed with Overbaugh. 

“If we’re not paying enough, we ought to pay more,” Krackeler said. “More money will work better than platitudes about getting butts in the seat, I think.”