WORCESTER — Friday, February 27, 2026 — The Worcester Public Schools (WPS) is scheduled to begin using 20 full-size electric school buses the week of March 2 in a historical step toward reducing the district’s carbon emissions, keeping in alignment with the City’s Green Worcester Plan.
For students, taking the bus will look the same, but they will notice a quieter ride. Electric buses are yellow and appear nearly identical to gasoline-powered buses.
WPS owns and operates 136 full-size buses, which includes the 20 electric buses; 115 mid-size buses; and 40 vans. WPS is now in its fourth year of operating buses without the use of third-party companies, which has greatly increased on-time performance and cost efficiency.
“The Worcester Public Schools remains a statewide leader in school bus transportation and adding electric buses is a natural extension of that,” said Superintendent Brian E. Allen. “This is a commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a better environment for the children we serve.”
“We are pleased to offer a cleaner, quieter ride for our students while continuing to modernize and strengthen our fleet,” said Mike Freeman, Administrative Director of Operations. “While the buses look just like our traditional gasoline buses, they represent an important step forward in sustainability. Our drivers are excited to operate the electric buses and play a key role in advancing Worcester Public Schools’ environmentally responsible practices.”
Safety is always our top priority. During February school vacation week, safety training was conducted with WPS bus drivers and transportation staff, along with members of the Worcester Fire Department, Worcester Police Department, and other agencies. Over the next few days, the electric buses are being test-driven without students on board.
A single electric charge will allow a bus to operate 120 miles in optimal weather. The electric buses will be charged following each morning or afternoon trip, which is about 40 miles. Additionally, the battery recharges itself while the bus is being driven.
The electric buses and charging stations, which are located in the WPS bus depot, were purchased with grant funding from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The annual maintenance cost of an electric bus is about 40-60% less than a gasoline-powered bus.
The district’s electric buses were built by ICBus, an American bus manufacturer; IC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Motors.
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