ELK GROVE, Calif.– The national nonprofit Propane Education & Research Council surprised teachers at Sierra Enterprise Elementary School today with a $5,000 donation in recognition of Elk Grove Unified School District’s (EGUSD) efforts to maintain good stewardship of its economic and environmental resources by adding propane buses to its school transportation fleet.
The donation is part of PERC’s nationwide campaign to educate parents, teachers, and school officials about the benefits of using an alternative fuel like propane.
“Propane school buses are the clean, quiet and safe alternative to older diesel buses, and Elk Grove Unified is a great example of the success a school district can enjoy after transitioning to propane school buses,” said Tucker Perkins, PERC president and CEO. “Plus, propane buses cost less to operate, so school districts can spend more of its operating budget on classroom programs.”
The $5,000 donation will be awarded to Sierra Enterprise Elementary School teachers to help buy classroom materials through the nonprofit AdoptAClassroom.org’s online marketplace for teachers.
Each day, Elk Grove Unified transports more than 9,000 students to and from school. The bus fleet also supports more than 6,000 field trips each year, too. With more than 200 school buses, it’s the largest transportation department in northern California, traveling a total of 2.7 million miles annually.
With a long history of reducing emissions in the area through using buses powered by alternative fuels, Elk Grove Unified became one of the first in its area to add propane buses to its fleet in 2016. Now, approximately 250 students get a clean, quiet ride to school on its nine propane buses.
“We value our partnership with PERC to accomplish our mutual interests in supporting our students and environment,” said Robert Pierce, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services and Facilities, Elk Grove Unified School District. “We are focused on expanding our school bus fleet that run on green fuels to insure lower impacts on the environment and to our students.”
Propane school buses are safe, clean and quitter for its passengers. Propane school buses emit fewer greenhouse gases and carbon monoxide than older diesel buses, so the air at bus stops is better for students. The World Health Organization classifies diesel exhaust as a carcinogen, and the chemicals it contains can have both short- and long-term health effects on children and drivers, from aggravated asthma to respiratory illnesses.
The trend of propane school bus adoption is growing across the country. Schools in 750 districts across 47 states are operating more than 13,000 propane school buses, which transport nearly 790,000 students to school each day. The trend prompted PERC to launch its awareness campaign to teach communities about the benefits of propane-powered transportation, and to partner with the non-profit AdoptAClassroom.org. Now in its third year, the campaign has donated $75,000 to teachers at schools adopting propane buses.
For more information on propane school buses, including bus safety tips for parents and children, visit BetterOurBuses.com. To donate to teachers in your local community, visit AdoptAClassroom.org.
Propane Education & Research Council:
The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit established, operated, and funded by the propane industry. PERC leads safety and training efforts and drives technology development to expand the adoption of propane as a clean, domestic, and affordable energy source. PERC programs benefit a variety of markets including transportation, agriculture, landscaping, residential, and commercial. propanecouncil.org
Elk Grove Unified School District:
The Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) is the fifth-largest school district in California located in southern Sacramento County. EGUSD covers 320 square miles and includes 67 schools: 42 elementary schools, nine middle schools, nine high schools, five alternative education schools, an adult school, one charter school and a virtual academy. Offering a multitude of educational programs, including over 70 career-themed academies and pathways within 15 industry sectors, we prepare our students for college and career by supporting them with the means to be creative problem solvers; self-aware, self-reliant, and self-disciplined; technically literate; effective communicators and collaborators; and engaged in the community as individuals with integrity. We integrate rigorous academics with career-based learning and real world workplace experiences and ensure that Every Student is Learning, in Every Classroom, in Every Subject, Every Day. www.egusd.net.
AdoptAClassroom.org
AdoptAClassroom.org empowers teachers by providing the classroom supplies and materials needed to help their students learn and succeed. As an award-winning 501(c)(3), AdoptAClassroom.org makes it easy for individual donors and corporate sponsors to donate funds to K-12 classrooms in public, private and charter schools throughout the U.S. On average, teachers spend $600 of their own money each year to equip their classrooms – 20% of teachers spend more than $1,000 annually. Since 1998 AdoptAClassroom.org has raised more than $30 million and benefited more than 4.25 million students. AdoptAClassroom.org holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. www.adoptaclassroom.org
