Electric school bus to pick up Cartwright School District students

The Cartwright School District in the West Valley is making history with a new electric school bus.

The school district took its electric bus, the first Blue Bird electric school bus in Arizona, out for a test run on the evening of June 30, during a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring school officials and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

"It starts with being the first, doing it one time and hoping that others can model after it," said LeeAnn Aguilar Lawlor, Superintendent of the Cartwright School District.

The electric bus will help prevent harmful emissions like nitrogen oxides, protecting the environment and the community.

"Something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but it is a very difficult process to actually get," said Aguilar Lawlor.

That process included applying for bonds and grants, and figuring out how to store it.

"Where are you gonna plug it in, charging stations, and there was a lot that went into it," said Aguilar Lawlor.

Aguilar Lawlor says the effort was worth it, because this bus is an investment in the future. The district is going to start using this bus as soon as students come back to class for the fall.

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