This Connecticut school district plans to have the state’s first full fleet of electric buses

BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Branford Public Schools is on its way to having an entire fleet of electric school buses.

The school district signed a $60 million, 10-year contract with Zum . It’s the country’s only 100% carbon-neutral student transportation company, with plans to make Branford’s fleet all-electric in five years. It would be the first district in the state to do so.

Johnita is going through the process of joining the team.

“I’m excited! I get to bring my son with me,” Johnita said. “He gets to meet new kids. My mom was a school bus driver, driving runs in the family.”

She was one of the people who attended the hiring event at the New Haven Hotel on Monday.

“We are looking for 65 people to staff up our Branford location,” Zum’s general manager Charlotte Charbono said. “We have many of our current Branford drivers coming with us, but we’re always looking for people to join our team.”

The company pays for training and certification for those who still need certification.

“We provide full training to get your CDL and get you licensed and behind the wheel,” Charbono said.

Natasha Alvarado has driven for the Branford school district for almost 11 years and is helping with this training.

“We’ve had a whole lot of people from a whole bunch of different towns that want to join and drive for us, which is nice,” Alvarado said.

Zum also allows parents and families to track their students’ buses in real-time, see pick-up and drop-off locations, and look at their driver’s profile through an app.

“Just like you can track where your package is, you’re now going to be able to track where your children are and where their bus is,” Charbono said.

In a statement released through the company last month, Branford’s superintendent called this contract a “win-win,” saying in part:

“We are excited to shape the path for our students and community by reducing our carbon footprint as we transition to an electric bus fleet with enhanced communication and technology.”

Zum will provide student transportation for Branford Public Schools starting with the 2024-25 school year.

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