EPA Awards Rebates Totaling $17 Million to Fund Clean School Buses that Reduce Diesel Emissions and Protect Children’s Health
First American Rescue Plan Funds to Reach School Districts to Help Them Buy Electric School Buses

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2022) — Today, at an event with Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the winners of two school bus rebate opportunities: the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates, and the 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates. The $7 million in ARP funding is directed toward school districts in underserved communities to replace old diesel buses with new, zero-emission electric models, and the $10 million in DERA rebates will assist with 444 school bus replacements across the country.

 

In addition to the $17 million announced today, in the coming weeks, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years, to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses.

 

“The historic investments in clean transportation resulting from President Biden’s leadership will have lasting impacts on protecting clean air for children for generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This round of school bus grants from the American Rescue Plan is just the beginning. The unprecedented $5 billion investment that’s on the way for clean and zero-emission school buses from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will transform how millions of children get to school and help build a better America for a new generation.”

 

The two rebate awards total approximately $17 million in combined funding for schools and bus fleet owners to replace older, high-polluting diesel school buses. Replacing these buses will improve air quality in and around schools and communities, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and better protect children’s health overall. Since 2012, EPA’s school bus rebates have awarded, or are in the process of awarding, over $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses.

 

This program will also prioritize projects that help achieve the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that federal agencies deliver at least 40 percent of benefits from certain investments to underserved communities.

 

2021 American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebate Awards

 

The first rebate awards are the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates. This new $7 million program provides funds to replace old diesel school buses with new, zero-emission electric school buses. The funds are reserved exclusively for school districts in underserved communities, Tribal schools, and private fleets serving those schools. This program will award funding for 23 electric school bus replacements and associated charging infrastructure.

 

List of Awardees:

 

State

Selectee Name

Region

Funding

# of Buses to be funded

AZ

Theodore Roosevelt School

9

$300,000

1

CA

Terra Bella Union Elementary

9

$600,000

2

MI

Dearborn Public School District

5

$300,000

1

MO

Charleston R-1 School District

7

$900,000

3

MT

Lame Deer Elementary School

8

$300,000

1

NJ

Holcomb Transportation, Inc - (Camden City School District)

2

$300,000

1

OK

Heavener Public Schools

6

$300,000

1

RI

First Student Inc - (Providence School District)

1

$1,200,000

4

SC

SC DOE Orangeburg CSD

4

$1,200,000

4

TN

Bledsoe County Board of Education

4

$600,000

2

VA

Petersburg City Public Schools

3

$900,000

3

 

2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebate Awards

 

The second rebate awards are EPA’s latest round of funding for longstanding DERA School Bus Rebates. This year’s program awards approximately $10 million to fund the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses meeting current emission standards. This program will award funding for 444 school bus replacements.

 

List of Awardees:

 

State

Selectee Name

Region

Funding Offered/Accepted

# of Buses to be funded

AL

Mobile County Board of Ed - APP 1

4

$250,000

10

AR

Viola School District

6

$20,000

1

AZ

Glendale Union High School District #205

9

$20,000

1

CA

Big Sur Unified School District

9

$20,000

1

CA

Center Joint Unified School District

9

$260,000

4

CA

Greenfield Union School District

9

$100,000

5

CO

Adams 12 Five Star Schools - APP 1

8

$200,000

10

CO

Boulder Valley School District

8

$120,000

6

CO

Cheraw School District 31

8

$20,000

1

CO

Weld County School District 6

8

$200,000

10

CT

B and B Transportation, Inc

1

$40,000

2

CT

Chris Sorensen LLC

1

$40,000

2

CT

Town of Simsbury Board of Education

1

$25,000

1

CT

Winkle Bus Co. of West Haven, Inc.

1

$60,000

3

FL

Seminole County Public Schools - APP 1

4

$250,000

10

GA

Cobb CSD - APP 2

4

$250,000

10

GA

Dodge County Schools

4

$20,000

1

GA

Fulton CS - APP 1

4

$250,000

10

HI

Robert's Hawaii School Bus, Inc. - APP 2

9

$200,000

10

IA

Bondurant-Farrar Community School District

7

$40,000

2

IA

Independence Community School District

7

$25,000

1

IA

Jesup Community School District

7

$20,000

1

IA

Riverside Community School District

7

$20,000

1

IA

Sioux City CSD

7

$60,000

3

IA

West Fork CSD

7

$20,000

1

ID

Independent School District No. 1 (County of Nez Perce)

10

$60,000

3

IL

Greenfield Community Unit SD 10

5

$20,000

1

IL

Peoria Public Schools District 150

5

$100,000

5

IL

Staunton CUSD 6

5

$40,000

2

IN

Monroe County Community School Corporation - APP 1

5

$260,000

4

KS

Caney Valley Public Schools USD 436

7

$20,000

1

KS

Chase Raymond SD

7

$20,000

1

KS

Labette County USD 506

7

$60,000

3

KS

Lebo Bus Service LLC

7

$20,000

1

KS

Morris CO USD 417

7

$55,000

3

KS

North Jackson USD 335

7

$20,000

1

KS

Ottawa USD 290

7

$20,000

1

KS

Southern Lyon County USD #252

7

$20,000

1

KS

Unified School District #306 Southeast of Saline

7

$20,000

1

KS

Unified School District #462

7

$20,000

1

KS

Unified School District 112

7

$20,000

1

KS

Unified School District No. 253

7

$40,000

2

KS

USD #379 Clay CSD

7

$20,000

1

KS

USD 289 Wellsville

7

$20,000

1

KS

USD 373 Newton Kansas Public Schools

7

$20,000

1

KS

USD 456 Marias Des Cygnes Valley

7

$20,000

1

KS

USD 477

7

$20,000

1

KS

Waverly Bus Service

7

$20,000

1

KY

Bell County Board of Education

4

$200,000

10

KY

Breathitt County Board of Ed

4

$40,000

2

KY

Campbell County Schools

4

$20,000

1

KY

Estill County Board of Ed

4

$80,000

4

KY

Jefferson County Board of Education - APP 2

4

$200,000

10

KY

Jessamine CSD

4

$200,000

10

KY

Lee County School District

4

$20,000

1

KY

Marion County Public Schools

4

$20,000

1

KY

Todd County School District

4

$40,000

2

LA

Lincoln Parish School Board

6

$100,000

5

MA

City of Quincy

1

$260,000

4

ME

MSAD 28

1

$65,000

1

ME

RSU#16

1

$20,000

1

MI

Hemlock Public School District

5

$60,000

3

MI

Ovid Elsie Area Schools

5

$40,000

2

MN

Haley Transportation of St Charles Inc

5

$40,000

2

MN

Palmer Bus Service of Austin Inc.

5

$150,000

6

MN

Palmer Bus Service of Minnewaska Inc.

5

$50,000

2

MN

Stahlke Bus Service, Inc

5

$40,000

2

MO

Charleston R-1 School District

7

$60,000

3

MO

DeSoto 73 Public Schools

7

$40,000

2

MO

Hannibal School District #60

7

$75,000

3

MO

Marion County R-II SD

7

$20,000

1

MO

Marquand-Zion R-VI School District

7

$20,000

1

MO

New Franklin R-1 School District

7

$40,000

2

MO

North Callaway R1 SD

7

$40,000

2

MO

Portageville School District

7

$40,000

2

MO

Republic R-III School District

7

$20,000

1

MO

Shelby Co. R-IV School District

7

$20,000

1

MO

Windsor C-1 SD

7

$160,000

8

MS

Lauderdale County Schools

4

$40,000

2

ND

Elgin New Leipzig PS

8

$20,000

1

ND

Surrey PS

8

$20,000

1

NE

Centennial Public Schools

7

$25,000

1

NE

Doc Holiday Express

7

$125,000

5

NE

Dundy County Stratton Schools

7

$20,000

1

NE

Elmwood-Murdock Public Schools

7

$20,000

1

NE

Harvard Public School

7

$40,000

2

NE

Sutherland PS

7

$20,000

1

NE

Weeping Water Public Schools

7

$40,000

2

NJ

Garden State Transport

2

$200,000

10

NJ

George Dapper Inc

2

$40,000

2

NJ

Lower Cape May Regional School District

2

$60,000

3

NJ

Safety Bus Service

2

$149,060

8

NJ

Student Transportation of America, Inc. - APP 2

2

$200,000

10

NM

Maxwell Municipal Schools

6

$20,000

1

NY

East Hampton Union Free School District

2

$40,000

2

NY

Pioneer Transportation Corp. - APP 2

2

$200,000

10

NY

West Babylon UFSD Transportation Department

2

$200,000

10

OH

Anna Local Schools

5

$40,000

2

OH

Columbiana County Educational Service Center

5

$20,000

1

OH

Indian Valley Local Schools

5

$40,000

2

OH

Riverside Local

5

$60,000

3

OH

Wadsworth City Schools

5

$40,000

2

OK

Sequoyah Public Schools

6

$20,000

1

OR

Bend Lapine SD

10

$120,000

6

PA

James Vasky

3

$20,000

1

PA

Jean Services

3

$20,000

1

PA

SD of Erie

3

$20,000

1

RI

Cranston PS

1

$40,000

2

SC

SC DOE Dorchester SD 4

4

$40,000

2

SC

SC DOE Kershaw SD

4

$20,000

1

SC

SC DOE Lancaster CSD

4

$40,000

2

SC

SC DOE Spartanburg SD 5

4

$60,000

3

SD

Patrick T. DeFea

8

$20,000

1

TN

Sumner County Schools

4

$200,000

10

TX

Bonham Independent School District

6

$100,000

5

TX

Ft Worth ISD

6

$200,000

10

TX

Henrietta ISD

6

$20,000

1

TX

Ingram Independent School District

6

$60,000

3

TX

Troup Independent School District

6

$80,000

4

UT

Summit Academy Inc.

8

$20,000

1

VA

Carroll County Public Schools

3

$100,000

5

VA

Culpeper County Public Schools

3

$80,000

4

VA

Loudoun County Public Schools - APP 2

3

$200,000

10

VA

Newport News Public Schools - APP 1

3

$250,000

10

WA

Chimacum SD #49

10

$40,000

2

WA

Evergreen SD #114 - APP 1

10

$200,000

10

WA

Granger School District

10

$20,000

1

WA

Port Townsend SD #50

10

$40,000

2

WI

Brandt Buses

5

$20,000

1

WI

Norwalk Ontario Wilton SD

5

$20,000

1

WI

School District of Shell Lake

5

$25,000

1

WI

School District of Westfield

5

$60,000

3

WI

SD of Alma

5

$20,000

1

WI

Student Transit - Eau Claire, Inc

5

$60,000

3

WV

Barbour County Schools

3

$40,000

2

WV

Lincoln CS

3

$100,000

5

WV

Upshur County Board of Education

3

$100,000

5

 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean School Bus Program

 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years for the Clean School Bus Program to replace existing school buses with cleaner models. In Spring 2022, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program for applicants to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses. EPA may prioritize applications that replace school buses in high need local educational agencies, low-income and rural areas, Tribal schools, and applications that provide cost share. To learn more about the upcoming Clean School Bus Program, please visit http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.

 

To learn more about the rebate programs, applicant eligibility, and selection process, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates.