GALS LA Expands Free, All-Green Bus Service for Students

This September, Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS LA) will welcome a brand-new electric school bus into its budding fleet, allowing the school to expand its free transportation services to students in Pacoima and Panorama City.

The electric school bus service by GALS LA, the first public, no-cost, all-girls middle school in the San Fernando Valley, embodies the school’s commitment to environmental stewardship and resource efficiency. GALS LA is also the only school in Los Angeles County made entirely out of recycled shipping containers, making as minimal an impact as possible on the environment and setting a new standard for sustainable educational settings.

GALS LA’s bus rides are of no cost to any enrolled GALS LA student. This is a distinguishing feature from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), schools which local students would typically attend.

Based in Van Nuys, GALS LA is open to enrollment to Los Angeles or San Fernando Valley student in grades six through eight. However, for those in Pacoima and Panorama City, communities impacted by reduced transportation options and the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of free a ride to school is priceless.

“This transportation service expansion is everything for our students,” said GALS LA Executive Director Vanessa Garza. “We’ve received ample interest from Pacoima and Panorama City families who have wanted their daughters to attend GALS LA, but transportation was an impediment. Now, we’re able to reach middle school girls in these underserved communities and offer safe, welcoming and free rides to school.”

GALS LA public charter school creates a supportive and dynamic learning environment that prepares young women for success in all aspects of life by combining academic excellence with social-emotional learning and physical movement. The school is dedicated to fostering the intellectual, physical and emotional growth of girls.

The electric school bus and GALS LA classroom experiences are also distraction-free. Since GALS LA’s 2016 founding, the school has maintained a no-cellphone policy on campus, during off-campus experiences and even on its school buses.

“We ask students to keep their phones at home or stowed away as soon as their school day begins, starting with a bus ride,” said Garza. “It’s a step further than most policies, but it really allows our students to focus on creating deep friendships and prepare for classroom learning.”

The school’s school bus service launched in September 2024 at GALS LA’s brand-new, environmentally sustainable campus. GALS LA’s new electric bus, expanding its service to new geographical communities, stems from both the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)’s Commercial Electric Vehicle Rebate Program and its Community Emission Reduction Grants Program.

GALS LA’s first electric bus, which has been actively serving students during the 2024-25 school year and launched service in August 2024, was made possible through the LADWP’s Community Emission Reduction Grants Program and partnerships with Buswest and Student Transportation of America.

The electric, zero-emission bus will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve Van Nuys air quality. GALS LA’s bus expansion not only enhances student safety and reduces traffic congestion; it also serves as a mobile classroom for renewable energy and sustainability lessons.

GALS LA envisions a world where all young women, regardless of their background, can access the skills, knowledge, and self-determination to succeed in secondary school, college, in their communities and the world.

GALS LA is currently enrolling students for the 2025-2026 school year. For more information and/or to enroll your student, please visit www.galsla.org or www.galsla.org/enroll.