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Five years ago, diesel costs averaged $2.68 a gallon. This spring, that more than to over $5.50. That’s not just a headline; it’s a real problem for anyone operating on a tight budget.

But for school districts, the issue is even more severe. The cost of fuel for just one school bus runs into thousands of dollars every year, and when diesel prices soar, school districts feel it in their budgets.

Electric school buses offer a solution. They can help districts save on fuel costs and insulate school budgets from the volatility of the global oil market. Here in Little Rock, we’re showing how this can work.

The district first introduced electric school buses to our fleet in August 2025, and already the savings are adding up. Over the first few months of the current school year, the old diesel buses cost 59 cents per mile in fuel. The electric buses? Just 31 cents.

With school buses averaging around 10,000 miles per year, that amounts to thousands of dollars saved for the district with every electric school bus we put on the road. Now, with diesel prices  over this time last year, those savings are even greater.

This solution isn’t unique to Little Rock. In , the district cut costs 80% per mile by switching from diesel to electric. It has put that money to good use, too, giving teachers a raise.

from the World Resources Institute shows just how dramatic these savings can be, particularly with diesel prices over $5. The institute estimates that the average annual cost to fuel a diesel school bus has risen from $7,600 last year to nearly $12,000 this year. And while electric rates have gone up too, the average cost to power electric school buses rose from an estimated $3,100 last year to about $4,000 this year.

In other words: It costs about three times less to power an electric school bus, on average, than one that runs on diesel. 

Crucially, the Little Rock district was able to use federal funding through the Clean School Bus Program to purchase our electric school buses. That’s important because right now, the upfront purchase price is higher than for diesel vehicles. But by using this funding to bring electric buses to our district, we’ve been able to see savings right away.

There are plenty of other good reasons to bring electric rides to our community. The school buses are cleaner, quieter, smoother and healthier for students than the old diesel models. They have no tailpipe emissions that spew harmful pollutants that can damage kids’ developing lungs and overall health. And they’re a great way to show students that sustainability can start at home.

But when it comes down to dollars and cents, there’s one thing that’s clear: Our district is saving money on fuel costs thanks to the new electric school buses. While we hope to see diesel prices come down soon for everyone, we’re glad to know that the federal funds we used to bring clean, electric rides to our students is already paying dividends.

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