Electric Vehicles Advance ICCSD Climate Action Plan

New electric vehicles are making an immediate impact for high school special education students in the ICCSD Transition Alliance Program (TAP). 

The district opted for electric vehicles in keeping with its commitment to sustainability. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education awarded ICCSD the Green Ribbon Award for its cost-saving, health-promoting, and performance-enhancing environmental practices. 
 
Founded last school year, the TAP program’s mission is to improve the postsecondary outcomes for students with IEPs and 504s.

Much of the program’s work focuses on partnering with local businesses and post-secondary institutions to provide students with work-based learning and career exploration experiences. Individual programs are designed to align with students’ interests and goals after high school. ICCSD currently serves over 180 students in the TAP program, exploring a variety of pre-employment services. 

Following the first year of TAP programming, buildings realized access to transportation was a barrier to many students with IEPs from accessing community learning opportunities.  

As a solution, TAP is piloting the use of three electric vehicles at City, Liberty, and West, specifically designated to transport students to job shadows, internships, work-based learning sites, and career discovery opportunities.  

Transition Coordinator Brian Schafer says the new vehicles make this programming accessible for all students. 

“The addition of the EVs has greatly increased TAP’s capacity to connect all eligible students to community learning opportunities,” said Schafer. 

ICCSD continues its commitment to sustainability by selecting electric vehicles for the project. As one of just 40 districts awarded the ED Green Ribbon last year, and the only school district in Iowa to earn the distinction. 

Institutions only receive the honor once, but Grounds Manager Ben Grimm says work is planned to continue making progress in the future. 

“Winning the award required efforts by students, faculty, administrators, and board members,” said Grimm. “We are fortunate to live in a community that embraces sustainability. Moving the district forward in a sustainable way is an honorable approach to leaving our community in a better place for future generations.”

In recent years, the Iowa City Community School District has exceeded climate goals set for 2030 with a 45 percent reduction in carbon emissions since 2019. 

Two important factors were the district energy providers' conversion to renewable energy sources and the implementation of geothermal heating systems across 25 of 29 ICCSD campuses. Those geothermal systems provide heating for nearly the entirety of each campus throughout the year, helping to dramatically reduce those schools' carbon footprints. 

Other steps to reduce emissions include electrifying HVAC and appliances moving away from gas-powered units. 

ICCSD offers a wealth of student-driven activities and initiatives related to environmentalism. Student sustainability clubs are heavily involved in streamlined recycling and cafeteria composting. Garden clubs manage vegetable gardens, prairie spaces, and ornamental beds to further their learning and make campuses more sustainable. 

Grimm says the new electric vehicles for the TAP program allow ICCSD to prepare for its climate future.

“Some of our greatest continuing challenges to reduce greenhouse emissions are centered around vehicles,” said Grimm. “The new fleet of EVs is only the beginning.  They allow our facilities department to learn new skills and collect new information as we prepare to operate more vehicles like them in the future.”

As for the special education students who the vehicles serve, Schafer sees the program as a win for kids. 

“Access to these electric vehicles has been a game changer for our programming.”