Posted by Tanya Arja or Debra Bellanti on 4/24/2025 9:30:00 AM
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Arja or Debra Bellanti
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Office of Communications
813-272-4060
Tampa, Fl. (April 24, 2025) – Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is proud to announce the completion of a new electric bus charging station located at King High School. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, April 25 at 9:30 a.m., marking a significant step forward in the district’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation in student transportation.
The charging station is designed to simultaneously charge 28 electric buses, with infrastructure in place to expand capacity for 8 additional buses in the future. The project also resulted in a complete reconfiguration of the transportation site to better serve the needs of students and staff.
In May of 2024, the school board voted to purchase the electric buses to serve specific inner-city routes to underserved communities. Funding was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who awarded HCPS $7.9 million as part of their first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The charging station was the last part of the project to make the electric buses fully operational.
As part of the improvements, HCPS also milled, re-paved, and redesigned the bus yard at King High School, enhancing traffic flow and efficiency. The site now features a newly constructed Drivers Education range, as well as additional parking to accommodate 19 additional non-electric buses on paved surfaces—a major upgrade in functionality and space utilization.
“This project highlights how innovation and collaboration can drive real, tangible improvements in our schools,” said Superintendent Van Ayres. “We’re proud of our transportation and construction teams who worked a very tight timeline, so the station was ready to charge when the buses arrived.”
This project was made possible thanks to the expert design work of Campo Engineering, responsible for the civil engineering, and WGI, Inc., which led the electrical design.
The April 25 ribbon-cutting event will bring together district leaders, transportation staff, and community partners to celebrate the completion of this milestone initiative, which positions Hillsborough County Public Schools as a leader in clean and efficient school transportation.
Media are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 25 at King High School, 6815 N 56th St, Tampa, FL 33610.