The Teton County School District is getting a big check from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA is sending the district $203,000 from the agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.
The grant will be used to purchase an electric-powered clean school bus that will accelerate the transition to zero emissions vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around area schools and communities.
Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan joined schoolchildren, district leaders and community members in Seattle, Washington, yesterday to make the announcement and highlight how it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save schools money, and better protect children’s health.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said that 25 million children rely on the bus to get to school each day and these grants are making an unprecedented investment in children’s health.
Earlier this year, EPA announced the $500 million was available for its Clean School Bus Program. But, because of overwhelming demand from school districts across the country, including in low-income communities, Tribal nations, and territories, EPA nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded to $965 million. The rebate application period closed in August with an outstanding response from school districts seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses across the country.
About the Clean School Bus Rebate Program
The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts and produce cleaner air. Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and cause them to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities. Phasing out these diesel engines will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, and school staff working near the bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis. The program will also save school districts money as they upgrade school bus fleets, replacing older, heavily polluting buses with brand new clean school buses, while freeing up needed resources for schools.
The 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates prioritize low-income, rural, and Tribal communities. The vast majority of applicants met the priority definition under the 2022 Clean School Bus Rebates criteria, resulting in access to more funds for buses and electric vehicle infrastructure for schools in areas that need them the most. The program also delivers on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
