"It's about what happens on a school bus, what happens on a playground. We want to develop well-rounded individuals that share the passion and values of this great state and of this county," he said.
Foster spoke at a press conference announcing the district's receipt of $6.32 million for the purchase of 16 new, fully electric school buses as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.
The money was made available through the bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.
Orangeburg County was one of 16 school districts in the state to receive the funding through the S.C. Department of Education.
State officials say the electric buses could roll out in the next eight to 10 months.
Foster noted about 8,300 of the district's 11,000 students ride a school bus.
The district has a fleet of 189 buses parked at nine different lots throughout the county. The fleet travels a total of about 1.3 million miles a year.
The district's fleet includes 37 buses over 12 years old and 11 buses under a year old.
With the 16 new electric buses — which will join the district's four existing electric buses — less than 10 percent of the district's total bus fleet will be older than nine years and about 76 percent of the fleet will be five years old and younger, Foster said.
"That is a tremendous accomplishment," he said.
The buses will include mobile two-way radios, camera systems, Wi-Fi capability and GPS/telematics systems.
Foster hopes the new electric buses will serve as a recruitment tool to attract new bus drivers during a time of bus driver shortages.
Investing in new buses shows drivers that Orangeburg County cares about them and that it wants to ensure they have the latest tools to do their jobs, he said.
The federal grant will also help pay for the infrastructure needed for the buses, including charging stations.
Orangeburg County will have three parking locations for the buses, with the largest located on Bamberg Road. The district parks about 60 of its buses at its Bamberg Road location.
State Department of Education Transportation Director Mike Bullman said an electric bus can generally travel 135 miles to 140 miles on a single charge. Officials estimate an average bus route is about 70 miles.
He said buses will be charged at night and can be charged in as quickly as 3-1/2 hours.
"An electric bus will cover over 80 percent of our routes right now without any adjustment whatsoever," Bullman said.
About $58.46 million was distributed statewide for new buses. Overall, 148 buses will be delivered as a part of this program.
U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn said $25 million of the $58 million is coming to the Sixth Congressional District, which he represents. Orangeburg County is in the district.
"The needs are there. This grant was written to target resources into communities of need," Clyburn said.
"This money is not only going to give school buses, but is going to put charging stations throughout," Clyburn said. "I am very pleased what we have done here. I am very just kind of happy that little ol' South Carolina is leading the way in some very innovative ways."
EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman recalled growing up with asthma and the challenges he faced as a child.
"This is transformative," Blackman said. "The amount of school days that are missed by children and work days missed by adults in this country based upon respiratory illness, especially in Southern states like South Carolina, is absolutely immense. We hope this is the first step of many to right the wrongs that have existed too often within our country."
"Children in the city will enjoy a pollution-free ride to and from school while school districts will have an annual fuel saving cost of at least 25,000 gallons of diesel," Blackman said.
Blackman said this is about a savings of $100,000 per year for the state and lifetime emission reduction of 6,000 tons from 16 buses awarded to Orangeburg.
"This program will improve air quality in and around schools and communities," Blackman said. "It will reduce greenhouse gas pollution and will also better protect our children's health. Our responsibility to our communities is to protect them at every level."
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman noted more than 350,000 students ride school buses daily across the state.
"It is our responsibility to ensure that this daily school routine is done safely and efficiently and we have come a long way in that regard in South Carolina," Spearman said.
When Spearman took office about eight years ago, the state bus fleet was the laughingstock of the nation, she said.
Some buses that were catching on fire.
"We have now become, in eight years, one of the most modern bus fleets in the nation, cutting the average age of our school buses in half," Spearman said. "Now we are again a leader."
Spearman also said the technology will inspire students.
"Beyond the bus awards, we believe the next generation of bus mechanics, drivers, inventors and STEM leaders could be riding on our electric school buses very, very soon," she said.
Blackman said more applications for electric buses are under review, and the agency plans to select more to reach the full $965 million in funding over the coming weeks.
The EPA will make another $1 billion available for clean school buses in 2023.
The $5 billion program is being rolled out over the next five years.
©2022 The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, S.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
