The Clean School Bus Program, a pivotal part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, will allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to invest $5 billion over the next five years to achieve more modernization in school bus fleets nationwide. Both the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation have prioritized the program, working together to reduce the amount of air pollution in districts across the country.
Texas Clean Bus Grants
Due to the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, seven grants across 19 Texas public school districts will fund the implementation of electric buses to help revitalize school bus fleets. Of these seven grants, four of them were awarded directly to school districts, and three were given to third parties that will fund the program in districts across the state. Alief ISD, Austin ISD, and San Antonio ISD will have the financial resources for 60 new buses each, while Edinburg ISD and Canutillo ISD will get 14 new buses.
Why Clean Bus Grants Matter
These clean buses will result in positive environmental, health, and fiscal effects, – cutting down on emissions while allowing school districts to save money on fuel costs. At a time when the State Board of Education recently rejected a number of science textbooks that taught climate change truthfully, moves like this are increasingly more important in safeguarding the health of public school employees and students.
In a January announcement of the latest round of grants from the EPA, Vice President Kamala Harris explained why school bus modernization ins sonecessary to improve the health of children and staff who are often exposed to pollutants,
“Every school day, 25 million children ride our nation’s largest form of mass transit: the school bus,” Harris said in a statement. “The vast majority of those buses run on diesel, exposing students, teachers, and bus drivers to toxic air pollution.”
Other Opportunities
Separate from these grants, school districts are still able to apply for the 2023 school bus rebate program to receive funding for fleet modernizations until Jan. 31. It’s important to note that participation in this program does require approval from local school boards.