Montgomery County Public Schools is looking to buy more than 100 diesel buses — its largest order of gas-powered vehicles in recent years — saying some of its electric vehicles aren’t fully meeting the district’s needs.
Some buses are experiencing extended periods of service interruptions due to “charging challenges” and parts issues, said district spokesperson Liliana López. The maintenance problems are exacerbated by cold weather, she said. Other buses aren’t meeting needs to transport students with special needs.
“Our primary focus is ensuring safe, timely and reliable transportation for the more than 103,000 students we serve daily,” López said. “Current electric bus technology is not fully capable of meeting all of our transportation demands, particularly for longer routes, field trips and midday services that exceed charging capacities.”
Montgomery is the largest district in Maryland, with more than 1,300 buses that travel an estimated 112,000 miles per day.
The district is seeking proposals for companies to purchase 140 diesel buses, including 45 with wheelchair capabilities. The school board is expected to vote on a contract in April.
The purchase comes five years after the school system signed a contract to buy 326 electric buses, a step, leaders said, toward eventually replacing its entire fleet with electric vehicles.
But the deal with Highlight Electric Fleets was marred by delays and other problems.
Buses were delivered months late. Maintenance issues rendered some inoperable for extended periods. The county’s inspector general found the school district failed to properly hold the bus company accountable for shortfalls.
In wake of the late deliveries, the Montgomery school board decided to purchase 90 special education diesel buses in 2023 for $14.7 million.
The body also partially suspended its contract with Highland last year. Then in the fall, the state board of education voted to overturn the district’s contract with Highland, saying it was “tainted” by the involvement of an employee later convicted of fraud.
The district has appealed that vote to Montgomery County Circuit Court and proceedings are ongoing. López said the district continues to have a business relationship with Highland to maintain 285 electric school buses.
The proposed purchase comes amid pushes across Montgomery and Maryland for greener infrastructure.
The Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, in part, barred school districts from entering into new contracts to buy non zero-emissions buses starting in 2025. But there are exemptions if there are no zero-emissions vehicles with the capabilities to meet a district’s needs or if there is no funding available to offset the additional cost of acquiring an electric vehicle.
López said the Montgomery district submitted a waiver to the state and was approved.
Montgomery County also has a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent in 2027 and 100 percent in 2035, according to a climate plan implemented in 2021. To meet those goals, that plan says the school district needs to stop purchasing nonelectric buses by 2027.
López said although the district is not acquiring additional electric vehicles at this time, it still remains committed to reducing greenhouse emissions.
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