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46 School Transportation News • JUNE 2026 Online 24/7: CHRYSLER 995!
executive director of the Engine Technology Forum, said a school district with $1 million to spend on transportation must weigh several factors. For in- stance, he questioned, if it would make sense to buy two or three electric vehicles at two to three times to the cost of a diesel bus and spend for the necessary charging infrastructure or retire five or more older diesel buses and replace them with five to seven brand new buses of any fuel type? “More kids getting to travel on newer and safer and more fuel-efficient buses would be funds prop- erly spent and most in the public interest, especially if the bus fleet is one of those 30 percent or so out there that are older than 2010,” Schaeffer said. Schaffer also emphasized the importance of step- ping back and evaluating decisions carefully. “I think we’re going through a period of more
introspection on all this,” Schaeffer said. “The people responsible for getting kids to and from school un- derstand that this is just one piece of their job.” He emphasized that transportation leaders must
balance technology decisions with the day-to-day realities of running a fleet. “Your job is to make sure you have safe, reliable bus service, that you have enough certified drivers showing up every day, that you have a plan to deal with breakdowns, and that you’re thinking about safety every day,” he said. “Investing in newer tech- nology is part of that, but it’s not the whole job.” Schaeffer noted that external pressure to adopt new technologies can complicate those responsibilities. “Sometimes fleets are pushed toward new tech-
nologies because of what people have read or feel would be better,” he said. “That can put fleet profes- sionals in a difficult position, especially when it’s driven by political will and not necessarily their own operational priorities.” He added that while technology transitions are
important, they must be grounded in facts and tai- lored to each district’s circumstances. “Everybody’s case is unique,” Schaeffer said. “It’s their funding, their management, their constraints. We need to make sure decisions are based on facts, not just emotions, and recognize that no one tech- nology is superior in every situation.” Ultimately, he said, the mission remains un- changed. “At the end of the day, job number one is getting kids to and from school safely,” Schaeffer said. “This is a piece of that.” ●
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