The job of a school bus driver takes a lot out on those who choose the profession. From the engine noise to the fuel stops, to the stress of dealing with all of the chatter behind them, it’s not an easy job.

Luckily, for Elma School District bus drivers, they’ll have the ability to drive students around in the new electric bus that joined its fleet recently. The Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley Thomas Built electric school bus, which seats 81 passengers, cuts the cost of fuel to zero, sends out zero emissions and cuts down engine noise. The bus could also help decrease the volume level of student chatter, which would help out drivers.

Heidi Miller, a bus driver for Elma School District, hopes the new bus keeps the students a little quieter.

“There’s potential for (a reduction in student noise,)” she said. “I think (a quieter bus) does have a lot to do with it. You do have engine noise from those engines in those (diesel) buses, so a lot of those kids’ octaves do go a little higher to communicate through the outside noise, or the inside noise.”

The engine volume for the new bus, which costs $368,236, is low enough where one can speak with an “indoor voice.” A person doesn’t have to shout to be heard. In fact, The Daily World learned Tuesday, March 1, that the bus sounds more like a spaceship from a science fiction movie — with a whirring sound that is much quieter than a traditional diesel engine.

Elma School District was able to purchase the bus with funding from a Department of Ecology grant provided by the Volkswagen settlement, according to the district. Washington will receive $141 million from Volkswagen to settle violations of the state and federal Clean Air Acts, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Caleb Bogar, transportation director for the district for the last four years, was really happy when he found out the district got the Volkswagen Enforcement Action grant in order to purchase the bus back in April 2020. The district applied for the grant in February 2020. Elma’s had the bus in its possession for a week —since Feb. 23.

“I’ve been the director of transportation at Elma for several years and today was one of the most exciting days in my career,” Bogar said recently.

Bogar said the bus was worth it for the school because of a few reasons.

“The fuel cost savings, the lower maintenance costs, lower operational costs,” he said. “We could save in the ballpark of 60 percent each year.”

Bogar wouldn’t say the number the district would save, but the expectation is that maintenance would cost nothing in the first year.

He did say it costs an average of about $5,200 for a diesel engine bus per year.

Bogar explained why it took close to two years for the district to gain possession of the bus since it received the grant.

“They had to build it,” he said. “They had to update the infrastructure. They had to make sure all the enhanced safety features were approved by Washington state.”

The bus comes with an “Intellipark” braking system. Bogar said most airbrake systems have a pressurized valve that a driver would have to push and pull. The new bus makes it easier on drivers to use.

“When you have to use it, as often as a school bus driver would, it becomes difficult to apply and release,” he said. “Therefore, they came out with easy brake as well as Intellipark. It allows comfort for a driver to apply and disengage without the loss of the braking system.”

The Intellipark system also helps reduce carpal tunnel issues for the drivers, Bogar said.

Again, the potential for reduction of student noise, is a key part for drivers.

Miller, who has been a school bus driver for a total of 11 years, is optimistic that students who ride the new electric bus, which hasn’t hosted a student yet, will quickly learn they don’t have to shout over a loud diesel engine. She can’t wait for that realization to kick in.

“I think that is going to be glorious,” Miller said.

She championed the district’s acquisition of the new electric bus.

“The fact there are no emissions, you’re not contributing to the bad air, I think it’s amazing,” Miller said.

Miller, who doesn’t seem to like the process of having to fill up the diesel buses, said the electric bus helps cut out that activity, because the electric bus just has to be plugged in at the district’s bus depot. Not filling up at fuel stations is a positive for her.

“Just from a driver’s standpoint, you don’t have to take the time to go over to the fuel station to wait in line to fuel,” Miller said. “We’re behind log trucks and semitrucks that stop through here. Sometimes, it takes quite a while to be able to fuel.”

Miller, who routinely drives down U.S. Highway 12 between McCleary and Malone, is happy to do her job.

As a mom, she loves making sure the students, including her own teenagers, are safe.

“I think it’s just when you become a parent, you’re a parent to your kids,” she said. “But this is like you’re parenting all of these kids. My time as a bus driver, I would say the most rewarding thing is to watch these kids. You start off driving them while they’re little and you watch them grow, watch them become the people that they become, and then they eventually graduate.”

She loves seeing the children mature.

“It’s amazing from a kindergartner or first grader to a high schooler,” Miller said. “The changes they’ve made over those years, that is the thing I’ve enjoyed the most.”