Grand Rapids — It’s been a long time coming, but the electric bus fleet at Grand Rapids Public Schools is finally starting to take shape. 

The district and its transportation services provider, Dean Transportation, recently unveiled the first seven of 15 EV buses purchased with the help of a $5.2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, and $1.2 million in additional dollars from the Michigan Department of Education.

During a ceremony Monday at Dean’s Union Avenue NE bus station — where chargers were installed for the EV buses last summer — district heads, Dean representatives and community leaders gathered to celebrate the arrival of the new buses. 

“This is an exciting day for Grand Rapids Public Schools,” Superintendent Leadriane Roby told the crowd, stating that the occasion marks “a powerful example of what true partnership looks like.” 

‘We feel zero emissions is the future of transportation.’

— Dean Transportation Director of Innovation Christopher Dean

GRPS Board Vice President Aarie Wade said that by getting the EV buses on the road, the district is following through on a “commitment to sustainability, and to being responsible stewards” of the environment.

“When I see these buses here today, I see a school district that is leading by example,” Wade said. “We are shaping the future of our entire community, and today, that future is looking a little cleaner, a little quieter and a whole lot brighter.”

Dean Transportation President Patrick Dean outlined some of the benefits of the EV buses.

“For our scholars, it means a quieter ride, creating a comfortable and calmer experience to and from school; for our community, it means cleaner air and meaningful steps toward sustainability; and for our Dean team drivers, a technology-forward vehicle that prepares us for the future of transportation,” he said.

Also among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, who helped secure the $5.2 million in rebates from the EPA.

“Those are your federal tax dollars at work, doing exactly what we need them to do: improving the lives of those in our community,” she said.

Roby told SNN after the ceremony that, while the community might see the seven new buses out and about this spring, the remaining eight vehicles aren’t likely to arrive until summer.

“The goal is by August, when school starts, all 15 will be on the road,” she said.

The buses were originally expected to arrive in the fall or winter, but Christopher Dean, Dean’s director of innovation, said manufacturing delays affected the timeline.

“It’s a combination of how quickly they can build them, but also, they’re transitioning from generation one to generation two — that’s impacting timelines as well,” he said. “We’re hoping our gen-two buses will be here by July, if not sooner, and then we’ll have all 15 on the road for the start of the 2026-27 school year.”

Dean reiterated that his company is passionate about using cleaner technology to push school transportation forward. 

“We’re really excited about the possibility — the actuality — of putting zero-emissions vehicles on the road,” he said. “We feel zero emissions is the future of transportation, and what better place to start than school buses and transporting scholars here at GRPS?”

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