STERLING – Sterling Public Schools will get an electric vehicle and charging station for its high school driver education program, thanks in large part to a $50,000 grant from Commonwealth Edison.
The board of education unanimously approved the terms of the deal with ComEd’s parent, Exelon Business Services, during its regular session Wednesday.
Superintendent Tad Everett told the board he will work to get two quotes for a vehicle and charging station package from the manufacturers. Everett said a local car dealer said he can offer an $11,500 rebate for a Volkswagen-brand EV.
If the cost of the car and charging station exceeds $50,000, the administration said it would inform the board of the additional expense.
As part of the agreement, the district will allow ComEd to publicize Sterling’s participation in the program.
Another condition of the deal is that the school agrees to purchase a dual-port Level 2 charger.
Commercial-grade charging stations like this cost upwards of $2,000, while home units are considerably less.
“We just heard about it,” Everett said in an interview after the meeting. “We’re shopping right now.”
[ Dekalb schools add electric vehicles ]
During the discussion phase of the meeting, Sterling High School Principal Jason Austin said the school had reached out to DeKalb School District 428 for guidance as it received a subsidy during 2022.
DeKalb used the grant to purchase a Chevy Bolt and two charging stations.
Austin said it was his understanding that Dekalb was in the process of phasing out its fleet of gas-to-electric conductors.
Sterling, however, is adding an EV as an addition to its existing fleet. He has two gas vehicles for the class, Austin said.
Since the program launched in 2019, ComEd has directed at least $700,000 to more than 14 schools in northern Illinois, the company said in a statement dated October 2022.
During this round of grants, ComEd added Dwight High School, Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Harvard High School, Jefferson High School in Rockford and Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago to its list of recipients.
On ComEd’s website, there is a buyer’s guide to electric cars and chargers. It lists seven car models with a maximum price of $40,000 and seven Tier 2 chargers between $1,000 and $3,000.
New sitting meeting
Sterling Public Schools seated a new board based on the certified results of the April 4 consolidated election. Incumbents Narcisco Puentes and Sarah Alvarez-Brown retained their seats and Gonzalo Reyes, who had previously served on the board of directors, was also sworn in and seated.
The board introduced outgoing member and secretary Steve Brenner, who served a four-year term.
Pam Capes was re-elected board president.
Other positions: Julie Zuidema will be vice president, Puentes will be secretary, Álvarez-Brown will be assistant secretary and Julie Aiken will be treasurer.
The date of the meeting has changed
The board voted 4-1 to move the next board meeting from May 24 to May 17.