Ritenour Celebrates Rollout of Electric School Buses Feb. 4, 2025

The Ritenour School District is proud to celebrate the rollout of the first arrivals of its new fleet of electric school buses at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the district’s transportation depot, located at the Husky Support Center, 9303 Midland Blvd. in Overland. 

Thanks to a $9,495,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its Clean School Bus Program, Ritenour will soon have 24 electric school buses transporting students to and from school. Approximately 3,750 Ritenour students—slightly more than half of enrolled K-12 students—ride buses daily.

The Feb. 4 festive celebration will feature an onsite tour of Ritenour’s new electric school buses and recognition of all the partners who made the electric bus fleet possible for the Ritenour School District, including representatives from the EPA, Midwest Bus Sales, IBP Midwest, Ameren Missouri, Kaemmerlen Electric and the Eastern Missouri Alliance for Clean Transportation.

Ritenour is one of only two St. Louis area school districts to receive an EPA Clean School Bus grant. Funds from the grant and the sale of 24 Ritenour diesel buses covered the costs of the new electric fleet and the charging stations located at the bus depot.

Ritenour Superintendent Dr. Chris Kilbride said he is excited for the debut of the new electric school buses.

“Our new electric school buses are a game-changer for our district,” Dr. Kilbride said. “They’re not just better for the environment, but they also provide a more comfortable, quieter ride for our students and drivers—and even for neighbors living near our bus depot. This is an exciting step forward, and we’re proud to lead the way in creating a healthier, eco-friendly future for our community.”