New report says Montgomery County Public Schools wasted millions on electric buses

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — In 2022 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) was touting itself as one of the leading school districts in America regarding electric buses.

It signed a contract a year earlier with Highland Electric Fleets to deliver more than 300 electric buses to replace its diesel-powered buses.

Our investigation two years ago uncovered that not all buses arrived on their original delivery dates. Four months in only 7 out of the promised 25 buses were transporting your children.

Now a scathing report from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General reveals the $160 million contract with Highland for 326 electric school buses turned into a massive delay of buses for years...

The Parents Coalition of Montgomery County, a taxpayer's watchdog group, is outraged.

"What do you think is alarming for parents to see out of that report?" asked 7News Investigative Reporter Scott Taylor.

"Tremendous amount of waste of dedicated education funding. These are our precious education dollars," said Janis Sartucci with the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County...

https://wjla.com/features/i-team/montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-electric-buses-montgomery-county-inspector-general-report-highland-electric-fleets-contract-deisel-powered-buses-mechanical-issues-charging-issues-maryland-schools-school-bus-transportation#