The Duval County school district showed off new electric school buses on Thursday, July 30, 2026. | News4Jax
Published on July 30, 2026 at 2:57 pm
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Duval County Public Schools is adding a fleet of electric school buses ahead of the upcoming school year. District leaders says the investment will bring new technology to student transportation while helping reduce long-term costs.
The district and Durham School Services celebrated the rollout of 26 new electric school buses and 26 charging stations Thursday at the Durham transportation facility.
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The buses were funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. Representatives said the investment will provide students and drivers with a quieter ride while reducing emissions.
Paul Talarico, senior vice president of operations with Durham School Services, said the buses can travel about 130 miles, while the average route is under 100 miles.
District leaders also pointed to potential savings over time, including lower fuel and maintenance costs compared with traditional diesel buses.
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“A lot of the funding came from the EPA. They gave us a project at just over $7.7 million to cover funding for it,” Talarico said. “So that helps with cost on both sides. And long-term cost, cost to service the bus … right now with the fuel cost, electric, they are generally cheaper to repair.”
The district plans to begin with the 26 buses unveiled Thursday. Officials said they are not able to share additional details at this time about whether more electric buses will be added.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
