South Carolina has the nation’s only centralized statewide school bus fleet. Here’s how that helped the state secure Clean School Bus Program funds for its communities.
| South Carolina Department of Education | |
|---|---|
| Location | South Carolina, United States |
| Number of students | 375,000 |
| Number of schools | ~1,300 |
| Percentage of students who ride the bus | ~50% |
| Fleet size | 5,600 school buses |
| Number of electric school buses in fleet | 75 electric school buses |
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) oversees the entire state’s school bus fleet, managing the transportation of more than 375,000 students each day across 76 school districts. This is different from other states, where individual school districts or fleet operators are responsible for their own school bus fleets. SCDE’s unique approach allows for statewide coordination, unified decision-making and robust technical assistance for districts — all of which helps ease the transition to electric school buses.
Because of South Carolina’s centralized model, SCDE was able to apply for Clean School Bus Program (CSBP) funding on behalf of school districts, negotiate statewide purchase contracts, work directly with electric utilities to plan out charging infrastructure, and manage installation subcontractors. This allowed SCDE to more efficiently manage electric school bus adoption across the state, achieving economies of scale while reducing the time and resources that individual school districts needed to invest.
Now, thanks to federal investments, students in 22 South Carolina districts will benefit from a clean ride to school with SCDE’s support.
“We had all the information needed for the application in one place. It was all done from our office. The districts just reap the benefits.” - Mike Bullman, South Carolina Department of Education Office of Transportation Director
Why South Carolina chose electric school buses
First, SCDE saw the federal CSBP as an opportunity to modernize its fleet. Many of South Carolina’s diesel-burning school buses were more than 15 years old despite the state’s goal of a 15-year replacement cycle, so many SCDE school buses were eligible for CSBP funding. And SCDE’s statewide school bus system made it easy to apply.
“We had all the information needed for the application in one place,” state Transportation Director Mike Bullman said. “It was all done from our office. The districts just reap the benefits.”
SCDE also considered electric school buses a particularly promising opportunity given school bus schedules. School buses typically have periods of downtime between routes, including during the day and overnight. That provides plenty of time for charging, making electrification an appealing prospect.
The large batteries onboard electric school buses are a good fit for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications that can help smooth out peaks for electricity demand and support grid resiliency. Because of these advantages, electric school buses are a forward-looking investment in infrastructure and transportation electrification across South Carolina.
Cost savings were another key factor. CSBP funding in 2024 resulted in more than $66 million in rebates awarded to 22 districts, allowing SCDE to deliver the electric school buses at no cost to the districts. SCDE needed to invest only $1 million total in charging infrastructure across all districts.
Once the electric school buses were deployed, they began to generate significant fuel savings for the state right away. Bullman said South Carolina’s new electric school buses cost about 25 cents per mile to operate, compared to 71 cents per mile for its new propane-burning school buses and 85 cents per mile for its new diesel-burning school buses. On average, an electric school bus saves $6,406 annually compared to a propane-burning bus and $8,356 annually compared to a diesel-burning bus.
Bullman also expects lower maintenance costs for the electric school buses — once the warranty period ends — because they have fewer parts than fossil fuel-burning school buses.
How SCDE partnered with South Carolina school districts
SCDE’s partnership with school districts throughout the state was a key driver of the adoption of electric school buses. SCDE also partnered with school districts by offering standardized training for district staff, coordinating maintenance, and using district-level route data to strategically deploy electric school buses on the most feasible routes.
The state even used savings achieved through this centralized approach to purchase three electric school bus simulators to help drivers learn to maximize range and efficiency. SCDE then used its first few electric school buses to provide a statewide roadshow that allowed stakeholders to ride on the buses and learn about them.
Bullman cited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as another valuable partner during SCDE’s project.
“We worked closely with our EPA regional staff throughout the whole process,” Bullman said. “They were just a phone call away, and they continue to support us and provide guidance to point us in the right direction. They’ve been involved with some press events too, so we couldn’t be more pleased.”
SCDE’s management of the transition to electric school buses substantially reduced the burden on each individual school district. The Department’s statewide approach also increased its negotiating power and provided economies of scale to maximize the impact of federal dollars.
Once all the buses are deployed, roughly 3.5% of the state’s 5,200 daily-route school buses will be electric, covering an estimated 2.6 million miles annually, according to Bullman.
What’s the latest?
SCDE was awarded funding for 168 electric school buses total, and 58 are operating daily. Once all the buses are deployed, roughly 3.5% of the state’s 5,200 daily-route school buses will be electric, covering an estimated 2.6 million miles annually, according to Bullman.
SCDE continues to apply for additional funding with the goal of electrifying 5% of its daily-route school buses. Even as the state rolls out electric school buses, some delays in updated infrastructure installation have proved challenging due to variations in depots. Some school bus depots are owned by SCDE, while others are owned by school districts; some depots need only minimal construction, while others require more work, such as repaving and new asphalt. Each depot also requires separate subcontracting for labor. However, SCDE is taking the learnings from each experience and resolving these delays.
In the meantime, SCDE plans to continue collecting, analyzing and sharing data on its growing fleet. Bullman says this will help the state make wise decisions, inform key stakeholders and improve the efficiency of its electric school buses.
Advice for other school districts
South Carolina’s transition to electric school buses offers several key takeaways for other states working to electrify their school bus fleets.
SCDE has demonstrated the value of a centralized approach, with the state agency taking a leadership role in electrification. By providing statewide support for funding, procurement, infrastructure, staff training, maintenance and other important elements of the transition to electric school buses, SCDE is ensuring smoother implementation and better cost savings at scale.
Bullman also emphasizes the importance of engaging partners as early in the process as possible. For SCDE, that included meeting with school district transportation staff to gather input and address their concerns, as well as working with electric utilities to plan for charging infrastructure and avoid delays. Bringing together all key stakeholders and maintaining strong communication helps maximize the benefits of electric school buses.
Ultimately, SCDE has found that by combining federal investments, strong partnerships, continual engagement and data-driven insights, the state is able to deliver the benefits of electric school buses to its students and communities.