A $1 million grant from Washington State Department of Ecology allowed the Walla Walla School District to buy three new electric buses.

WALLA WALLA — Three new electric school buses will be added to Walla Walla School District’s fleet before the next school year begins, making Walla Walla one of the first districts in eastern Washington to have the new equipment.

The district paid for the buses and charging units with the Air Quality Clean Diesel Electric School Bus Grant it received from the Department of Ecology. The grant was just more than $1 million and each bus cost about $346,000. Superintendent Wade Smith said Walla Walla was one of only 12 districts that received a grant.

“Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in Washington state, accounting for nearly half of total greenhouse gas emissions,” Smith said. “An ecology air pollution study shows that diesel exhaust is responsible for 70% of Washington’s airborne cancer risks. Diesel engines power the vast majority — like our fleet here — of Washington school buses.”

The district currently has 44 buses in its fleet. John Griffith, the district’s transportation director, said expanding the electric bus fleet could be a possibility in the future.

“That’s going to take some time feasibility-wise until other districts get on board and have charging available — especially for athletics and field trips,” Griffith said. “But route buses will move into that as quickly as possible.”

School Board President Derek Sarley said that because Walla Walla was one of the first districts on this side of the state to have electric buses, it would be a learning experience for this district and for others.

“There are going to be lessons that we’re going to share with other districts, and I think those are going to help power the state’s transformation moving from diesel to clean energy,” Sarley said. “We know that if we’re going to do this on statewide and whole fleet basis, it’s going to take money — we’re going to need the Legislature to step up.”

The district also has installed three charging units for the buses. Doug Case, manager of marketing and member services with Columbia Rural Electric Association, said charging units cost between $30,000 and $40,000 depending on the brand.

“The DC fast chargers are not a new item, they’re just very expensive so there’s not a lot of them in the Walla Walla Valley,” Case said.

Columbia REA is the power provider for the school district at the bus transportation facility, 1162 Entley St., in Walla Walla. The company will provide power for all the charging units that have been installed.

In addition to electric buses being better for the environment, Griffith said there would be no oil and diesel costs. In a news release, the district said electric buses have one-third the number of moving parts that a diesel-powered bus has. They can also travel 300 miles on a full charge. A trip to and from Pasco normally costs about $75 in a diesel bus, but only $35 in an electric bus.

“The most important thing is the environment and that it’s cleaner for children,” Griffith said. “And then of course, it’s fewer moving parts on an electric bus, so maintenance goes way down.”

The bus dealer, Schetky Northwest Bus and Van Sales, based in Pasco, recently trained bus drivers and mechanics in Walla Walla on electric bus maintenance.

The district has received the first bus and began using it Wednesday, May 31, while the other two buses will arrive over the summer.