BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is looking to purchase 19 electric buses with a $7.5 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

EBR Superintendent Dr. Sito Narcisse says transportation is one of the biggest expenses for the school system. Purchasing electric buses will not only cut costs, but allow those funds to be put to better use.

“If we’re able to save funding in that way, we can use costs in a different way to put more towards kids in the classroom," Narcisse said.

The buses, created by Lion Electric Co., have a mileage range of 125 miles before needing a charge. Narcisse says they plan to install charging stations at EBR schools for the buses.

The plans will be presented to the school board in February for approval. If approved, the buses are expected to arrive in October of 2024.