Voters Reject Electric Buses in New York School Budget Ballots

‘This technology is not ready for prime time,’ says state senator from Jamestown.

A new EV school bus from an all-electric fleet is parked beside charging stations at South El Monte High School in El Monte, Calif., on Aug. 18, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

In blue New York State, plenty of voters this month saw red over expensive propositions to purchase green school buses.

Even in Ithaca, home of Cornell University and a community where residents and institutions have long trumpeted environmentalism and progressive ideals, taxpayers on May 21 overwhelmingly said ‘no’ to buying electric school buses (ESBs) priced at more than $400,000 each.