This piece originally appeared on Syracuse.com.

In 2022, New York State passed legislation that mandated all school districts fully electrify their bus fleet by 2035, and required that all buses purchased after 2027 be electric. While I fought for and we received extensions to the 2027 deadline for certain districts in last year’s state budget, the 2035 mandate remains unchanged and is fast approaching. I am calling on the Governor and my colleagues to revisit this policy and extend the deadline until the technology is proven, dependable, and financially sustainable.

School districts throughout Central New York are working tirelessly to plan for how to comply with these mandates. But after many meetings with school districts throughout my district, I’ve heard the same thing over and over: electrifying our school bus fleets on this timeline is simply not possible.  

To be clear, progressing toward an electrified transit system is necessary to meet the State’s climate goals and protect our environment for future generations. However, the technology is not advanced nor financially accessible enough for the school districts of Central New York. Implementing electric buses this quickly could jeopardize the safety of our students and contribute to the broader affordability crisis we’re already facing. 

Take Central Square Central School District (CSCSD): spanning over 220 square miles, CSCSD has nearly 100 diesel buses, its longest bus route running 234 miles—117 miles each way. With the current battery technology, electric buses can travel between 100-200 miles on a single charge, but that mileage can decrease 20-50% with hilly terrain and cold temperatures—two common environmental challenges in Central New York. 

A third-party study conducted estimated that electric buses could only take over a fifth of CSCSD’s bus routes without major infrastructure changes. The North Syracuse Central School District has reported that only 40% of their bus routes could be completed by an EV bus on a single charge. According to officials of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, after two days with temperatures below 30 degrees, one electric bus was nearly out of power after about 45 miles of travel. Given these studies, the current technology, conditions and metrics, the implementation of electric buses could result in instances of buses full of children being stranded on the side of the road.

Beyond safety, there is the concern of affordability. It's no secret that New York’s aging power grid is struggling to keep up with our current energy needs and contributing to rising utility costs.With electric mandates comes the need for charging stations, creating greater energy demand and contributing to unsustainable energy costs.

The cost alone should give policymakers pause. A new electric school bus can cost three to four-and-a-half times more than its diesel counterpart. While state and federal reimbursement grants exist, districts must still front the money—meaning taxpayers are on the hook long before a single dollar is reimbursed. To make the numbers work, schools would have to take on significant debt, and that requires voter approval—something far easier said than done. The reality is simple: the mandate is running ahead of what our communities can realistically afford.

It is exceptionally clear that the one-size-fits-all mandate does not fit the needs of Central New York. Advancing toward a zero-emission future is a noble goal that should be pursued, but the State’s timeline is unrealistic for school districts and taxpayers alike. We need a better solution, additional resources, and a more reasonable timeline. 

Our responsibility is not to impose mandates that sound good on paper. It is to protect taxpayers, safeguard our students, and ensure our schools can deliver for the communities they serve. Central New York deserves an energy transition that works—not one that works against us.