PERC donates to Elk Grove Unified School District

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) awarded teachers at Sierra Enterprise Elementary School, in Sacramento, California, with a $5,000 donation in recognition of Elk Grove Unified School District’s addition of propane-powered buses to its school transportation fleet.

According to PERC, the donation will be awarded to Sierra Enterprise Elementary School teachers to help buy classroom materials through the nonprofit AdoptAClassroom.org’s online marketplace for teachers.

Joy Alafia, president and CEO of the Western Propane Gas Association, takes a selfie with the assembly in the background during the Propane Education & Research Council event at Sierra Enterprise Elementary in Sacramento, California. Photo courtesy of PERC.

The trend of propane school bus adoption is growing across the country, says the council. Schools in 750 districts across 47 states are operating more than 13,000 propane school buses, which transport nearly 790,000 students to school each day.

The trend prompted PERC to launch its awareness campaign to teach communities about the benefits of propane-powered transportation. The campaign partners with the non-profit AdoptAClassroom.org. Now in its third year, it has donated $75,000 to teachers at schools in districts that have adopted propane buses.

“Propane school buses are the clean, quiet and safe alternative to older diesel buses, and Elk Grove Unified is a great example of the success a school district can enjoy after transitioning to propane school buses,” says Tucker Perkins, PERC president and CEO. “Plus, propane buses cost less to operate, so school districts can spend more of its operating budget on classroom programs.”

Elk Grove Unified School District’s bus fleet transports more than 9,000 students to and from school and supports more than 6,000 field trips each year. With more than 200 school buses, it’s the largest transportation department in northern California, traveling a total of 2.7 million miles annually.

Joy Alafia, president and CEO of the Western Propane Gas Association, addresses students and faculty during the Propane Education & Research Council event at the Sierra Enterprise Elementary School in Sacramento, California. Photo courtesy of PERC.

According to the council, Elk Grove Unified became one of the first in its area to add propane buses to its fleet in 2016. Now, about 250 students ride to school on its nine propane buses.

“We value our partnership with PERC to accomplish our mutual interests in supporting our students and environment,” says Robert Pierce, deputy superintendent of business services and facilities for the Elk Grove Unified School District. “We are focused on expanding our school bus fleet that runs on green fuels to ensure lower impacts on the environment and to our students.”