Royal Oak Schools Receive $4.45M Grant for Electric Buses

Funding will support transition from traditional fuel-powered buses to electric vehicles.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 8:23am

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The Royal Oak school district in Michigan has been awarded a $4.45 million Clean Bus Energy grant from the state's Department of Education. The grant will allow the district to transition its transportation fleet from traditional fuel-powered buses to electric vehicles and install the necessary charging infrastructure.

Why it matters

The move to electric buses represents an important step forward for the Royal Oak community, reducing emissions and investing in cleaner transportation for students while also responsibly utilizing state funding resources.

The details

The grant funding will be used to cover the costs of charging infrastructure and to purchase ten new electric buses. The district has already begun planning for the infrastructure work required to implement the transition and anticipates completing the project and launching the electric vehicles by Fall 2027.

  • The Royal Oak school district was awarded the $4.45 million grant in March 2026.
  • The district plans to complete the infrastructure work and launch the electric buses by Fall 2027.

The players

Tim Ciechorski

President of the Royal Oak Board of Education.

Michigan Department of Education

The state agency that awarded the $4.45 million Clean Bus Energy grant to the Royal Oak school district.

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What they’re saying

“Electric busing represents an important step forward for our community. This grant allows us to reduce emissions, invest in cleaner transportation for students, and responsibly steward taxpayer resources through strategic state funding.”

— Tim Ciechorski, President of the Board of Education

What’s next

The district anticipates completing the necessary infrastructure work and launching the new electric bus fleet by Fall 2027.

The takeaway

The Royal Oak school district's transition to electric buses, supported by a significant state grant, demonstrates how strategic investments in clean transportation can benefit local communities by reducing emissions, providing cleaner student transportation, and responsibly utilizing taxpayer resources.