Electric school buses arrive in Granton

After a two-year process, the Granton Area School District received its new electric school buses the morning of Jan. 29. The buses, made by the Lion Electric Bus Company in Canada, were brought to the school via truck before getting an official inspection by the Wisconsin State Patrol and Department of Transportation to make sure they met all qualifications to drive on Wisconsin roads. Five buses were delivered to the school district as part of the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Bus Rebate Grant program, which the Granton Area School District qualified for back in the fall of 2022. The Granton Area School District was one of 19 school districts in Wisconsin to qualify for the first round of funding from the program, having received $1,885,000 to purchase the electric buses and related charging equipment. The electric buses received by the Granton Area School District were the first electric buses made by the Lion Electric Bus Company to be imported to Wisconsin for use in the state. Following the state inspection, the school’s bus drivers were expected to receive training to learn how to drive the new buses and local emergency crews will also hold trainings to be prepared in case of any emergency that might involve a school bus. The trainings are expected to take at least a week, with the buses entering service after that. An official ribbon cutting for the new buses is expected to be held at a later date.

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO