Random Lake district accepts electric bus, installs on-site charger

The Random Lake School District announced receipt of an electric school bus funded through a grant and said the district installed an on-site charger using existing transformer capacity from its wind turbine.

Superintendent said the bus arrived recently and was driven on route for trial runs. "Kids thought it was pretty cool because it didn't make any noise, and it didn't smell like diesel," the superintendent said, describing student reactions to an early route.

Board members asked for operational details. The district reported an estimated range of about 90 miles per charge and said the bus includes an onboard low-speed noise maker for pedestrian safety. The superintendent said the bus value is roughly $375,000 and that the district obtained it under a roughly $400,000 grant; she said the district paid about $10,000 to prepare a parking location and charger infrastructure because the site already had a transformer from a school wind turbine that made charger installation feasible for far less than the $100,000 cost other districts faced.

District staff said they will monitor performance and warranty coverage and that if the bus proves suitable they will consider operational uses for nearby routes and short runs. The board flagged battery lifespan and end-of-life environmental considerations for future discussion.

The district will report back after initial route testing and as charger-usage and maintenance data become available.