Sterling schools awarded $50,000 ComEd grant for electric driver’s ed car and charging station

STERLING – Sterling Public Schools will get an electric vehicle and charging station for its high school driver’s education program, thanks in large part to a $50,000 grant from Commonwealth Edison.

The school board unanimously approved the conditions of the agreement with ComEd parent Exelon Business Services on Wednesday during its regular session.

Superintendent Tad Everett told the board that it will work toward obtaining two quotes for a vehicle and charging station package from manufacturers. Everett said a local car dealer can offer an $11,500 rebate for a Volkswagen-brand EV.

Should the cost of the car and charging station exceed $50,000, the administration said it would inform the board about the additional expense.

As part of the agreement, the district will permit ComEd to publicize Sterling’s participation in the program.

Another condition of the agreement is the school agrees to buy a dual-port, Level 2-rated charger.

Commercial-quality charging stations cost upward of $2,000, while home units cost considerably less.

“We just got word of this,” Everett said in an interview after the meeting. “We’re shopping right now.”

[ Dekalb schools add electric vehicles ]

During the discussion phase of the meeting, Sterling High School Principal Jason Austin said the school had reached out to DeKalb School District 428 for guidance, as it was a grant recipient in 2022. DeKalb used the grant to buy a Chevy Bolt and two charging stations.

Austin said he understood that DeKalb was in the process of phasing out its gas-powered driver’s ed fleet for electric vehicles.

Sterling, however, is getting an EV as an addition to its existing fleet. It has two gas-powered vehicles for driver’s ed, Austin said.

Since launching the program in 2019, ComEd has directed at least $700,000 to more than 14 schools in northern Illinois, the company said in a release dated October 2022.

During that round of grants, ComEd added Dwight High School, Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Harvard High School, Jefferson High School in Rockford and Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago to its list of recipients.

On ComEd’s website, it has a buyer’s guide to electric cars and chargers. It lists seven model cars with a top price of $40,000 and seven Level 2 chargers in the $1,000 to $3,000 price range.

New board seated

Sterling Public Schools seated a new board based on certified results of the April 4 consolidated elections. Incumbents Narcisco Puentes and Sarah Alvarez-Brown retained their seats, and Gonzalo Reyes, who previously served on the board, took the oath of office and was seated.

The board made a presentation to outgoing member and secretary Steve Brenner, who served a four-year term.

Pam Capes was reelected as board president.

Other officers include Julie Zuidema, vice president; Puentes, board secretary; Alvarez-Brown, assistant secretary; and Julie Aiken, treasurer.

Meeting date changed

The board voted 4-1 to move up the next board meeting from May 24 to May 17.