Humble Independent School District receives donation from PERC campaign

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) donated $5,000 to the River Pines Elementary School in recognition of Humble Independent School District’s use of propane-powered buses in its school transportation fleet.

PERC donated $5,000 to teachers at River Pines Elementary in recognition of their district’s use of propane-powered school buses. Photo courtesy of PERC.

The donation comes as a part of PERC’s campaign to educate parents, teachers and school officials about the benefits of using alternative fuels such as propane.

“Propane school buses are the clean, quiet and safe alternative to older diesel buses, and Humble ISD is a great example of the success a school district can enjoy after transitioning to propane school buses,” Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC, says.

According to PERC, the donation will be awarded to Humble, Texas’ River Pines Elementary teachers to help buy classroom materials through the nonprofit AdoptAClassroom.org’s online marketplace.

In 2011, the school district purchased 27 propane buses with the help of a $2.9 million grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Parent Teacher Association. In the fall of 2016, $1.1 million worth of grant money from TCEQ and Houston Galveston Area Councils helped increase the number of propane-powered buses to 47.

According to PERC, about 20 percent of the district’s total school bus fleet is now powered by propane, helping to transport about 12,000 students. Propane school buses have helped save the district in fuel costs, as propane costs 80 cents per gallon compared to $1.80 per gallon of diesel.

“Humble ISD seeks ways to be good stewards of environmental and economic resources,” J.P. Burd, director of transportation, says. “Propane buses are clean and safe, and the cost of fuel is significantly less than diesel.”