Red Lake School District #38, the only public school district in Minnesota located within a sovereign tribal nation, has announced the addition of two new electric school buses and chargers to its fleet. With this announcement, the District has become one of the first public school districts in the U.S. with a 98% indigenous population to utilize funding from the EPA's Clean School Bus Program.
Red Lake School District #38 partnered with Highland Electric Fleets, the leading provider of school bus fleet Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS) in North America, to bring healthier electric school buses to their students and community. This initiative underscores the district's commitment to energy transformation, in tandem with honoring its cultural heritage. The district's curriculum includes teaching the Ojibwe language, Ojibwemowin and honoring ancestral customs as they usher in the latest in sustainable transportation technology.
The district's new electric buses will help transport approximately 50 students each. With the necessary infrastructure in place, the electric buses can obtain an average range of 110 miles throughout the year with a full midday charge. The two buses are expected to travel a total of approximately 10,000 miles annually.
