Rio Bravo-Greeley Breaks Ground on Electric Bus Depot

Coming soon, students in the Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District (RBG) will be riding to campus in style in a new fleet of electric school buses. The district broke ground Wednesday on its new electric school bus depot, which will house and support charging infrastructure for eight new zero-emission electric school buses.

The district partnered with Highland Electric Fleets and secured grant funding to deploy the new electric buses and create a space for charging and maintenance. Bradley Barker, Regional Business Manager with Highland, says these modernized buses will mark an important advancement for the district, enhance student transportation, and provide students with a more comfortable commute.

“One of the biggest differences students notice right away is the sound. The electric school buses are about four times quieter than traditional diesel buses,” he said. “A quiet ride is also a calmer ride.”

Another benefit of electric buses is cleaner air and fuel efficiency.

“As these electric buses come into service, they will be reducing air pollution by up to 16 percent, while also providing a quieter and healthier ride,” said RBG School Board President Shelley Cauzza. “That’s something our students will notice.”

Superintendent Jennifer Hedge says the project allows the district to make much-needed updates to their decades-old transportation program while maintaining the consistency that families depend on.

“By investing in electric buses and on-site infrastructure, we are taking a responsible step toward cleaner air, more efficient operations, and a stronger future for our school community,” she said.

District officials, school board members and Highland Electric agreed that this project would not be possible without strong partnerships and communication between everyone involved. From the administration and school board to the school bus drivers and maintenance staff, everyone played an important role in the project.

“Thank you for giving us a chance and trusting us to partner with you,” Barker said. “We’re proud to support Rio Bravo-Greeley in taking this step, and we’re excited to continue building this program together with them. We look forward to coming back for the ribbon cutting and seeing the next phase of the project.”