The Reading School District will begin using electric school buses, possibly as early as the 2026-27 school year, the district announced Thursday.
The district said it is the first in Berks County to approve the transition to electric buses, marking a major step toward cleaner, more sustainable transportation for students.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility while continuing to provide safe, reliable transportation for our students,” Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, superintendent, said in a statement.
The district, which does not own its bus fleet, is working with contractor Zum Services to replace 25 diesel-powered buses with new electric school buses.
The company is one of five providing transportation to district students.
Construction of charging stations at Zum’s city depot is expected to begin in spring.
The transition is funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, which awarded the district an $8.985 million grant to deploy zero-emission electric school bus
The project, approved by the school board at a February meeting, underwent careful evaluation for financial and technical value, the district said. This included testing the operational performance of electric buses in the winter climate.
The buses are designed to operate safely in a variety of weather conditions, including ice and snow, and provide strong heating and cooling performance, the district said, noting they also offer significantly lower maintenance costs compared with traditional diesel vehicles.