The Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in California unveiled the school district’s new fleet of 25 electric school buses and chargers.

The buses will begin transporting students this spring and consist of 17 Thomas Built Type A and 8 Thomas Built Type C vehicles along with 25 newly-installed Tellus chargers. This addition marks the start of the school district’s first electric vehicle (EV) endeavor.

The district added the buses via partnerships and support from Highland Electric Fleets, Thomas Built Buses, and Southern California Edison. 

Funds for the new vehicles were awarded through the first round of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program. Compton Unified School District 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, in a statement. “Just as we are committed to sustainability, we are also committed to academic excellence, ranking #1 in LA County for graduation rates and #1 in the state among comparably sized districts. Compton Unified will continue leading the way to ensure our scholars have every opportunity to succeed.” 

Compton Unified School District is located in the south-central region of Los Angeles County and currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites.