The Administration recommends that the Board of Education ratify and authorize the acceptance of a grant by The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or his designee, as follows:

From: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Purpose:  To support the purchase of electric school buses 

Grant Start Date:  9/21/2022

Grant End Date:  12/31/2025

Amount up to: $936,000 

Locations: 

Broad Street Garage

Passyunk Garage

Description:

The Department of Transportation Services is requesting ratification approval for an award received on September 21, 2022, from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). Transportation applied to PA DEP and was awarded a grant of $936,000. This award from PA DEP is under the Driving PA Forward: CY21 Truck & Bus Fleet Grant Program. This is the District's fourth award from the Driving PA Forward Program. The District received notification of the award on September 21, 2022. Staffing constraints and competing priorities delayed the processing of the award notification. The grant funding will be managed by the District Grants Office. The funding received from this award will provide supplemental support to cover some of the cost for six electric buses that the District projects will be delivered by the end of 2024. This will bring the total number of electric buses owned by the District to 20. These funds will also help the District achieve the goal of reducing its carbon footprint by modernizing the fleet, introducing zero-emission vehicles, and transitioning from diesel buses to electric buses, which are cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicles. This acceptance directly supports the Board of Education's Guardrail 1: Welcoming and Supportive Schools. Every school will be a safe, welcoming, and healthy place where our students, staff, and community want to be and learn each day.