LAUSD Purchases 10 More All-Electric 'Magic School Buses' To Bring Students Back When Campuses Reopen
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Unified School District says it has purchased 10 more all-electric school buses in its drive to reduce its carbon footprint.
The LionC buses can travel 155 miles on a single charge and include an integrated wheelchair lift, according to LAUSD officials. Superintendent Austin Beutner, who called the vehicles "magic school buses," says just one of these buses will save more than $10,000 annually in lower maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse gases.
"Electric buses equal cleaner air," LAUSD board member Dr. George J. McKenna said in a statement. "That benefits our students, our families, our employees, all of us."
The buses will help bring students back to campuses when schools reopen, Beutner said, but a firm date for when students will return to LAUSD campuses has not yet been set. Beutner last week said he was aiming for April 9, while Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he had reached a deal with lawmakers to reopen schools across the state by the end of March.
The purchase of the 10 electric school buses was funded in part by the California Energy Commission's School Bus Replacement Program, according to the district. The district bought its first two electric school buses in 2017 with a $536,000 grant from the California Air Resources Board and South Coast Air Quality Management District.
