HOPKINS, S.C. — Richland County School District One has a new electric school bus, thanks to student essays in the "Kids Ride Clean" writing contest.
The district is the first of four in the state to receive the new technology, valued at $350,000.
The new bus is, in part, a result of student work, with several students entering the "Kids Ride Clean" writing contest sponsored by Columbia-based Ava Lane Meyer Foundation.
News 19, along with school board members and bus drivers, got a first look at the bus before students hop aboard next week.
The bus emits zero emissions, is completely silent and can travel about 150 miles on a single charge.
Superintendent Craig Witherspoon tells News 19 he hopes this is the first of many electric buses to be added to their fleet.
“We have greenhouse programs, we have recycling, we have all those things in our district, and this adds to that," Witherspoon said.
With a price tag of $350,000, the upfront cost for one electric school bus is high, but the long-term costs are low.
According to the manufacturer, Thomas Built Buses, they save $2,000 a year in fuel and $4,000 a year in maintenance costs.
Founder of the Ava Lane Meyer Foundation Austin Meyer said the true savings are much more than money.
“The real payback is the fact our kids can ride to school without being subjected to pollution that’s known to damage their health," Meyer said.
The new bus will hit the roads once drivers complete a two-hour long training course next week.
At Thursday's press conference, school board chair Cheryl Harris hinted at more buses coming the district's way through state funding.
“I’ve reached out to some of our senators, and I’ve put the plug in their ear," Harris said. "We’re gonna need some more money cause we’re gonna need some more electric buses.”
The Orangeburg County School District was recently awarded $1.2 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to purchase four electric school buses.