Toledo Public Schools’ plan to launch a program allowing students to hit the road after graduation with a Commercial Driver’s License is back on course to start next school year.
Plans to offer the CDL program were put on hold after Toledo City Council in April rejected renovation plans to the district’s transportation hub near Rogers High School. As part of the facility upgrade, the district also wants to switch from diesel buses to ones that run on propane, which would save more than $1 million a year.
Two new developments last week put the transportation hub plans back on target — city council’s waiver of a one-year waiting period to resubmit plans for the renovations, and an announcement that the district will receive $750,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toward the purchase of 25 new, propane-fueled school buses.
Robert Mendenhall, a district administrative specialist who’s been working with city officials to get the project approved, said both occurred on Tuesday, although the district couldn’t discuss the EPA funding until later in the week, after federal officials announced the recipients.
“The Feds wanted us to wait until Vice President Kamala Harris made the announcement out in Seattle about this program,” Mr. Mendenhall said. “So both of these wins actually happened on Tuesday, which turned out to be a pretty good day.”
District officials say plans are to create a more modernized driving area for the CDL program at the transportation hub and partner with area companies and institutions to help provide the driver’s training and instruction. Doing so will allow seniors to avoid the roughly $5,000 training cost for outside programs. They can also then apply for high-paying driving jobs immediately after graduation, Mr. Mendenhall said.
Funding for the buses was made possible through the EPA’s $965 million Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), who helped pass the funding for the program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, said in a statement that the rebates will help the district acquire buses that are newer and more environmentally friendly.
“With this new federal funding, Toledo Public Schools will be able to upgrade its fleet with the latest school buses — saving the district real money on both fuel and maintenance,” she said. “From roads and bridges to the newest school buses, our Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act continues to deliver for Northwest Ohio in big ways.”
Along with producing fewer emissions and running quieter, Mr. Mendenhall said, propane buses would cost the the district about $2.50 a gallon — half the cost of diesel fuel. Switching the district’s 186 buses to an all-propane fleet is estimated to save more than $1 million a year.
Unlike diesel, propane is stored above ground, and there are various safety and building regulations the district must pass first before it can begin renovations to its transportation hub.
Mr. Mendenhall said district officials are working to resubmit the plans to city officials in November. He anticipates city planners would review those plans in January and city council would then consider approval in February.
First Published October 31, 2022, 5:01 p.m.
