The evening of 2025-12-09 was a meeting of the Honeoye Falls-Lima Board of Education (BoE).
Highlight of the meeting was the discussion around the Electrification Study Report Update. Long story short, we can’t charge electric buses. We would need a new transformer and line extension (~$2.5 mil) at the minimal. But ‘the project exceeds feeder capacity’ and the cost to address this is ‘not known at this time but could represent a significant additional expense’. So no electricity to charge buses (for now).
The buses themselves would cost ~$20 million, although that purchase would likely be spread out over a number of years. And once the buses are acquired, there are expected additional costs to be ready for safety/fire issues.
On the plus side, in theory, ~70% of the existing bus routes could be converted to using electric buses. And the ones not covered are apparently outside the District. Which says to me, they could potentially be handled by canceling whatever event has the bus leaving the District. Which isn’t ideal, but beats stranding a busload of kids if the battery runs out.
It sounds like some sort of waiver will be coming out next year. But this won’t change the end deadline, just the starting date. Which says to me, it might well end up costing more. As instead of a gradual transition, more buses would have to be bought in a smaller span of time.
As was said at the table, this sort of transition falls outside the schools normal function, and the costs would be better spent directly on students. Which has me thinking the best way to handle this is to repeal the mandate. Absent a law forcing action, I would expect the District to move to alternate transportation methods when they make sense. As soon as electric buses become cheaper, I’m sure the District will jump on the option. Until then? The challenges showing up in the report just illustrate why this transition doesn’t make sense at this time.
In the end, perhaps HFL will decide non-compliance is the best option. By the sounds of it, we wouldn’t be the only district taking that approach.
Or, maybe we’ll go into the electrical generation business. Burning fuel to run a generator on site, to charge electrical buses, makes about as much sense as the mandate itself.
Program Budget Advisory Council (PBAC) membership was approved for the upcoming budget season. The list felt a bit smaller then most years. There is still time if you want to join in. Listen to budget presentations, have your questions answered, getting a taste for what the BoE does over the 6 meetings (the brochure lists 5, it appears to have left off the PBAC only discussion meeting, which I expect to occur on 3/3). And if you have interest towards joining the BoE at some point, most of the members spent some time on the PBAC first. Either way, fist Budget meeting is 1/13. I’m sure Colin (Business) would welcome a message. Or just show up, the meetings are open to the public.
Time again for the Capital Project report, which means pictures of the progress. Also approving a bid for ‘Masonry Restoration & Abatement‘. As I understand the abatement portion, there is some asbestos flooring under the existing floor in a few places being renovated. By the sounds of it, you’d have to break through at least two layers of floor to even reach it. Which has to be one of the least bad places it could be on campus.
And those are my Observations From Audience Land for the December 09, 2025 meeting of the Honeoye Falls-Lima Board of Education.
Agenda’s and similar information can be found at HFL’s BoardDocs page. While a recording is also available.