Southfield sustainability committee: electric bus infrastructure complete; first buses expected mid-March

The Southfield Board of Education’s sustainability committee reported progress on several green initiatives at the Feb. 10 meeting, including electric bus infrastructure, expanded recycling at Kennedy Learning Center and exploration of solar power via power purchase agreements.

Trustee Amani Johnson said the charging infrastructure — including tunneling and a transformer pad — is complete and the district "expect[s] delivery of our first buses by mid March." Johnson said a two- to three-week testing period will follow before buses are fully deployed and that the fire and police departments have already received safety briefings and walk-throughs of the new equipment.

At Kennedy Learning Center, the recycling program launched with six designated bins and a grade-specific student responsibility model; staff plan to include funding in next year’s budget to expand recycling and to continue pursuing grant funding. The sustainability committee also reviewed a power purchase agreement model meant to allow solar installations without upfront district capital, maintenance obligations or added financial risk; staff said they are coordinating with grant writers to pursue EPA funding for solar, EV charging stations and recycling expansion.

The committee intends to draft a comprehensive climate resilience and sustainability policy for the spring study session, and staff recommended more frequent public updates through a dedicated sustainability webpage and newsletters.

What’s next: District staff will report results from student food-service and sustainability surveys and plan to present a sustainability policy during the study session in coming months.