For Immediate Release
May 29th, 2024
Contact: Will Eley, Green Jobs Program Manager, Piedmont Environmental Alliance / will@peanc.org
Winston-Salem, NC – Today, the U.S. EPA announced that The Arts Based School in Winston-Salem will be awarded $345,000 for the purchase of an all-electric school bus and associated charging infrastructure, via the Clean School Bus Program. This groundbreaking investment in zero-emission transportation will support cleaner air for our children, produce immediate cost-savings for the school, and further grow our region’s clean energy economy.
In response to this news, leaders from The Arts Based School and Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) released the following statements:
“We're excited to use our new electric bus as both a learning tool and a means to get from here to there,” says Robin Hollis, Charter Director of The Arts Based School. “Our students will get to learn about the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle. We hope to inspire other schools to take action toward environmental stewardship, even with small steps, one bus at a time. We are especially grateful to the EPA for making this possible for our school.”
“As both an environmental advocate and a parent of two Arts Based School students, I am doubly proud today,” says Jamie Maier, Executive Director of Piedmont Environmental Alliance. “All of our children and educators deserve the very best, especially when it comes to safe, healthy rides to and from school. We are grateful to The Arts Based School, our community, and the Biden-Harris Administration for their collective support.“
The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law by President Biden in 2021. As a member of the Alliance for Electric School Buses, a national coalition of not-for-profit organizations committed to an equitable electrification of the nation’s school bus fleet, Piedmont Environmental Alliance is committed to helping schools across North Carolina make this transition.
“This truly is a win-win-win for Winston-Salem and The Triad as a whole,” continued Maier. “These federal dollars will go towards the purchase of an electric school bus made by union-workers just down the road in High Point, by members of UAW Local 5287 at Thomas Built Buses. We look forward to working with other area education partners and local businesses over the coming years to stoke even more clean energy investment.”
----
The Arts Based School is a K-8 public charter school that delivers the North Carolina Standard Course of Study through integration with the arts.
Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) is a Winston-Salem based nonprofit that educates and empowers, builds community, and inspires action to create a healthier, more economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable community. Learn more about PEA’s work at peacnc.org