A Fleet Electrification Accelerator launched by Connecticut Green Bank earlier this year provides school districts with a free planning and deployment support program for local school bus fleets, with a focus on distressed municipalities.
The program is designed to help Connecticut school districts transition to electric school buses by offering technical, financial and operational guidance. It helps school districts overcome the various barriers to electrification such as EV adoption, infrastructure planning, vehicle procurement and cost analysis.
As of Tuesday, Preston Public Schools and the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System joined the Fleet Electrification Accelerator Fall Cohort. CTECS serves over 11,000 students across 17 technical high schools and one technical education center.
“The Green Bank is proud of the electric school bus investments we have made in 2025 through the Fleet Electrification Accelerator, which will help communities strive towards a cleaner future,” stated Bryan Garcia, president and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank. “The participation of Preston Public Schools and CTECS reflects a growing commitment among Connecticut’s educational institutions to reduce emissions and deliver public health benefits through improved air quality while continuing to focus on the safe, reliable transportation of their students to and from school.”
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Through the program, Preston Public Schools and CTECS will receive everything from electric school bus basics, vehicle and charger recommendations, a road map, on site assessment, procurement timelines and funding and incentive opportunities.
“Preston Public Schools is one of approximately 10 school districts that owns and operates its fleet of school buses,” said Roy Seitsinger, Preston’s superintendent of schools. “The initial assessment shows the location of our transportation department to be the third best location statewide to provide the necessary power for electrifying our future fleet needs. We are proud to be one of the first school districts to partner with Connecticut Green Bank.”
Recruitment for the spring 2025 Fleet Electrification Accelerator is currently underway. The program is sponsored by CALSTART.
