Kings Canyon Unified School District is a Kindergarten-to-12th grade school system that serves students from a 600 square-mile area in California. The district serves Reedley, Orange Cove, and the foothill and mountain communities of Navelencia, Squaw Valley, Dunlap and Miramonte. The district employs approximately 1,500 staff members and has a student population of about 10,000.
Kings Canyon Unified School District operates a school bus fleet of 74 vehicles, with 37 compressed natural gas buses, and 31 diesel powered buses with diesel particulate filters to meet the California Air Resources Board's Truck and Bus Regulation.
An important aspect of natural gas vehicle deployment in California is developing supporting infrastructure. There is limited access to natural gas infrastructure in the surrounding regions of the district, which deters the use or expansion of natural gas technologies by central valley school bus fleets. As a result, the district sought to expand compressed natural gas fuel use and availability through the creation of the Central Valley Transportation Center. The Central Valley Transportation Center will provide Reedley and surrounding communities with green jobs, clean and low carbon energy and green education training. The Central Valley Transportation Center will also be the home of the districts fleet of school buses and service vehicle with alternative fuel dispensing and service center located on site.
Author(s)
Jason Flores, Shaun L. Rodriguez, John G. Campbell
