Hingham School Committee Approves 10-Bus Electric Fleet Lease in 5-1 Vote

HINGHAM — November 10, 2025 — Hingham School Committee votes 5-1 to lease 10 electric buses over seven years, projecting $225,000 in first-year savings. Executive Director of Business Services Aisha Opang presented a revised cost analysis after the district failed to qualify for Massachusetts grant funding, showing the electric option remains competitive without the subsidy, with electricity and mechanical warranty costs absorbed into the vendor contract with Highland. Facilities Director Patrick, once a skeptic, told the committee his conversations with Maine and North Shore districts that are further along in electrification had changed his view: "I've driven it. They're powerful. They're quiet. They're comfortable." One member voted no, expressing uncertainty about out-year projections; the remainder of the savings beyond year one, Opang acknowledged, is within $25,000 in either direction and depends heavily on diesel fuel pricing. The committee also received data showing 74 percent of the 140 students who sat for the Avant STAMP exam in 2024-25 earned the Seal of Biliteracy or the higher distinction designation, up from 37 percent in 2019-20, and conducted a first read of a new competency determination graduation policy required by DESE by year-end.