The Caston School Corp. is one of only 12 school corporations in Indiana to have an electric bus, which it received in December. Shown with the bus on Dec. 21 are Caston Transportation Director Josh Lowe, left, and Superintendent Angie Miller. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

FULTON — The Caston School Corp. has become only one of 12 school corporations in Indiana with an electric bus.

According to information provided by Drive Clean Indiana Program Director Ryan Lisek, Caston, located outside the town of Fulton, joins Delphi Community School Corp., Monroe County Community School Corp., South Bend Community School Corp., the School Town of Munster, Hamilton Southeastern School Corp., North Central Parke Community School Corp., Rensselaer Central Schools Corp., Crown Point Community School Corp., Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., Carmel Clay Schools and Paramount Schools of Excellence, Indianapolis, in having at least one electric bus.

Caston Transportation Director Josh Lowe said the new bus was first used on a regular route on Dec. 20, with it utilized to transport wrestlers to a meet in Rochester the weekend prior.

The corporation received $395,000 in Environmental Protection Agency Clean School Bus funding for the brand-new Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 bus and its charging station, having to foot about $60,000 of the cost itself. The vehicle was purchased from Kerlin Bus Sales of Silver Lake.

Lowe said Caston Superintendent Angie Miller “headed” the effort to obtain the grant, which started in 2022 while she was curriculum director.

Miller, who serves on the Fulton County REMC Board, said she learned of the grant from the county REMC CEO Andrew Horstman.

Representatives from the school looked at an electric bus before applying for the grant in August 2022.

“I guess through REMC I had an interest in EVs,” said Miller. “When I said something to Josh, if Josh didn’t want to do it, we wouldn’t have done it, but … it kind of piqued your interest too just to see,” said Miller, talking to Lowe.

“It basically came down to after going and looking at one and inspecting it, if we were granted the money, that was a win for us as far as cost,” said Lowe.

He noted the corporation only had to pay about $60,000 for the electric bus with the EPA funding whereas a new regular diesel bus would cost approximately $130,000.

The corporation learned in October 2022 it got the grant for the bus, with it getting the vehicle on Dec. 13, 2023.

“We have to keep the bus for five years” according to the EPA funding rules, said Miller.

Its battery warranty is for 10 years.

Fulton County REMC installed a charger for the bus on the school campus “and picked it out and did all the legwork there too,” said Lowe.

With the lack of other charging stations being nearby and the bus’s maximum battery life being at 130 miles before it needs recharged, the bus was designated for a regular school route instead of long distances for extracurricular activities. However, Lowe pointed out it still could be taken to nearby schools in Cass, Fulton and Miami counties.

He called the driver chosen to drive the bus, Greg DuVall, “very competent” and “a seasoned driver.”

“His route is roughly 55 miles (daily),” said Lowe.

DuVall is driving the bus in the southern part of the school district in Cass County and part of Miami County.

“We’re learning together,” said Lowe. “I sent him over to the dealership … where we purchased the bus, and he was over there talking to the mechanics and the salesmen and everything a week before we got the bus. I took him (when) we received the bus and we got trained as much as possible there, so he’s just been taking it all in with me.”

While taking the bus for a short drive across the parking lot, Lowe noted “it doesn’t handle any different than a normal vehicle.”

He said the regenerative braking obviously was different than a fuel-powered bus.

“It’s just quiet,” added Lowe. “It’s just amazing that we’re sitting here running, and you don’t hear an engine. That’s the biggest thing to me, it’s just so super quiet … You can actually hear the radio.”

In terms of maintenance, Lowe said there were “similarities” between the bus and diesel-powered ones.

“You still have steering, and you’re still dealing with brakes, so that’s not any different,” he said. “You’re still dealing with suspension and parts that you still have to grease.”

“Obviously, you’re not going to be changing oil in the engine anymore, so it’s not a whole lot different maintenance-wise. It’s just a different system,” Lowe added.

Caston prepped for the bus being on the road by hosting a safety training for its bus drivers as well as area first responders on Dec. 20. More than 50 people came out for it.

“It was for first responders to know what to do in case of an accident or fire,” said Lowe. “They need to know what to shut off and what not to touch and what to do.”

Overall, he and Miller said they can’t really report yet whether getting the bus was a really good choice or a really bad choice as it’s just so new to them.

“Time’s going to tell on this,” said Lowe. “We’re in new waters … It’s new territory, and time will tell for sure, but it’s coming. It’s not foolproof right now, and there’s going to be improvements as we progress.”

Miller said she’s happy to show that small, rural schools are interested in “innovation” though.

“Sometimes the small schools, it doesn’t seem like a lot of things are going on here, but there’s some innovation,” she said. “To make it happen kind of goes along with our tagline (of) ‘Big enough to do great things, and small enough to care.’”

Caston’s electric bus charges on the school campus on Dec. 21. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

Caston had a safety training regarding the bus on Dec. 20 for its bus drivers and area first responders. Photo provided by Caston School Corp.