Vicksburg Warren School District Adds Eight EV Buses, Plans Gradual Rollout

VICKSBURG, Miss. — The Vicksburg Warren School District has added eight electric (EV) buses to its fleet of 115: seven 71-passenger buses and one 61-passenger bus with a wheelchair lift.

The EV buses were unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week. Purchased through a $3 million federal grant as part of the EPA Clean School Bus Program, the funding also covered the cost of charging stations, including one quick charger.

The Vicksburg Daily News took a ride on one of the new buses with Kimberly Taylor, transportation supervisor for the district, behind the wheel. The route began at the bus barn, continued through downtown to Levee Street, up China Street, onto Clay Street, then onto the interstate to Bovina, before returning to the bus barn.

Under the grant agreement, the district must use the electric buses for at least five years, though full rotation is not required. After the five-year period, the district may sell the buses and keep any proceeds. The drive trains are covered under an eight-year warranty, while the batteries have a 10-year warranty.

The new buses are equipped with heating and air conditioning and can travel about 120 miles per charge, with an average charging cost of $27.

They are not equipped with seat belts, as Mississippi state law does not requires them. School buses are designed using a safety concept called “compartmentalization.” High-backed, closely spaced, energy-absorbing seats create a protective zone that helps cushion passengers in case of a crash. Taylor also spoke of the concern that, in an emergency, seat belts could become a hindrance in the case of a need for a quick evacuation.

The grant process began in 2022, with eligibility requiring buses to have been in service during 2021. Most of the retired buses were from 2004-05, with one dating back to 1996, but all were still in operation.

“These were buses that we were going to have to take off inventory anyway, because the parts were no longer available,” Taylor said.

Taylor acknowledged potential challenges with the city’s hilly terrain and long county routes.

“I stayed in communication with the EPA in Jackson, as well as in Washington, D.C., asking questions, because that was my main concern: that we would be okay here, that this would be a good choice for us in our school district,” Taylor said. “I also stayed in touch with Waters, because I wanted to know—is this the best bus for us?”

After the ribbon-cutting, representatives from the manufacturer walked senior members of the Warren County Fire Department through the new EV buses, answering questions about safety protocols and emergency procedures.

Vicksburg Fire Chief Derrick Stamps emphasized the department’s preparedness.

“The Vicksburg Fire Department is fully equipped and vigilant in supporting the rollout of new electric buses from the Vicksburg Warren School District,” Stamps said. “One notable advantage of the new electric buses is that they are powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, which offer excellent thermal and chemical stability. These batteries remain cooler at higher temperatures and have a lower risk of combustion compared to lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in most electric vehicles and tend to have a higher flammability rate.”

The eight buses will be slowly rolled out into continuous use, with Taylor and her team monitoring the effectiveness of the new buses. For now, the buses will stay on shorter routes, using them to transport students for in town field trips, as well as for coaches to pick up students to and from the junior high schools to take them back to the high schools for practice, with plans to put in them into a more regular rotation starting in the fall.

“We are a district of innovation. That innovation should be seen throughout all the departments within the district, not only the schools,” Taylor said.