BEMUS POINT — Following the failure of the first community vote, Bemus Point Central School is still hoping to be able to use what they can from the 2023 EPA grant which will allow the district to pay for electric bus upgrades, and is set to hold another public hearing and vote in March.

The public hearing is set for March 10, with the community vote set for March 18. Superintendent Joe Reyda said work on getting more information as to what will be needed in order to prepare the district for the upcoming electric bus mandate from the state has been done in the time since the last vote failure.

“Since the last vote, we have been able to determine that it will cost $2.5 million to upgrade the bus garage to support electric vehicles,” Reyda said. “The 2023 EPA Rebate award will provide financial incentives that will cover 90% of this cost. If approved, this rebate award will allow for $3.0 million in financial incentives to flow into the district at no additional cost to district taxpayers.”

After learning of the cost, Reyda said the district applied for and received an extension on the 2023 EPA Rebate Award, which is what now allows for the Board of Education to move forward to a second community vote. Reyda said the rebate is an opportunity for the school to receive financial incentives that they would not otherwise get.

“We have the opportunity to do all of the necessary upgrades to the bus garage at one time with financial incentives paying for 90% of the work,” Reyda said. “If the vote does not pass, then the entire cost for this work will fall on the district taxpayers. The Board of Education believes that going out with a second vote is being fiscally responsible to the district taxpayers.”

Additionally, Reyda said a positive vote from the Bemus Point community allows for three million dollars in financial incentives to flow into the district with no additional tax levy increases. A negative vote takes away all incentives and will force the community to fully fund all necessary upgrades to the bus garage. The electric bus mandate from the state telling schools that they are required to have their entire fleet be electric by 2035 remains in place as of right now.

“We understand that electric buses are still a hot topic of conversation, and we want to assure the community that we are diligently researching all aspects of this initiative,” Reyda said. “While we oppose state mandates, we also recognize the need to be fiscally responsible and plan for the future. Approving this purchase would allow us to proactively begin the process of upgrading our bus fleet and future-proofing our infrastructure with significant financial assistance, while a ‘no’ vote would likely result in higher costs down the line should the mandate be upheld.”

The original vote on allowing the district to move forward with the rebate award only failed by 13 votes. Reyda said the Board of Education is looking to allow the community a second chance to accept these funds, especially now that the district knows the price for upgrading the bus garage and how much the financial incentives will cover.