U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 - 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
EPA Announces Over $15.8M in Awards for Clean School Buses in Missouri, as Part of Investing in America Agenda
Contact Information: Jonathan Klusmeyer, 913-343-2991, klusmeyer.jonathan@epa.gov
LENEXA, KAN. (JAN. 9, 2024) – As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of two applicants to receive over $15.8 million through EPA’s first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition.
The awards, which are made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, will help selectees purchase clean school buses in two Missouri school districts.
By accelerating the transition to low- and zero-emission vehicles, these awards will improve air quality for children and their families and advance environmental justice, all while boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs.
Missouri’s award selectees are:
In addition, Missouri is expected receive additional funding through these third-party selectees that are working with multiple states:
“Today, we’re once again accelerating the transition to electric and low-emission school buses in America, helping to secure a healthier future where all our children can breathe cleaner air,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’ve sat next to students on their very first clean school bus ride and their excitement reflects the power of good policy. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, thousands more school buses will hit the road in school districts across the country, saving school districts money and improving air quality at the same time.”
“Children and school staff across the Heartland will breathe cleaner, less polluted air, thanks to this electric school bus funding,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is investing in a healthier future for all.”
“Kids and families in our district rely on up-to-date and efficient buses to get to school every day. I’m excited to see the Ferguson-Florissant and Ritenour school districts receive federal grants for 40 electric school buses. Additional funding will also be disbursed to Highland and First Student School transportation service providers in our region,” said U.S. Representative Cori Bush (MO-1). “This is a double win. It ensures that schools in Missouri’s First District have dependable and safe transportation for our community and helps create a cleaner and healthier environment for all of us.”
“Electric school buses lead to cleaner air, healthier kids, and stronger communities – which is why I’m thrilled to announce more federal funding has been secured to provide electric buses for the kids of Academie Lafayette,” said U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-5). “This grant is a direct result of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, his unrelenting work to pass bipartisan solutions, and his commitment to ensuring a brighter, healthier future for the next generation of Americans. I’m proud to have supported the infrastructure law that made this funding possible, and I will continue to support the President’s Investing in America Agenda as it continues to pay real dividends for communities across the Fifth District.”
“Investing in the future of education goes beyond the classroom, and receiving the EPA federal grant will not only provide more efficient options than traditional diesel-powered buses for our District, but is a step toward the future that signifies our commitment to sustainability,” said Ferguson-Florissant R-II School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Davis.
"Transitioning from diesel to electric school buses is a huge step forward in our commitment to fostering a healthier, greener future for our students and our community,” said Ritenour School District Superintendent Dr. Chris Kilbride. “Not only will these buses be more comfortable for our drivers and students with air conditioning, but they will also show we are embracing the shift to prioritizing sustainability and stewardship of our planet. We hope to set an inspiring example for our students, our community, and our region.”
“Thanks to funding from the EPA Clean School Bus Grant Program and support from a robust coalition of partners, we are proud to deploy electric school buses across metro, tribal, and suburban communities in three states,” said Highland CSB 1 LLC Midwest Regional Manager, Electric Fleets Joshua Williams. “We look forward to demonstrating that all communities can access the benefits of electric school buses.”
“Electric school buses provide cleaner, healthier air and quieter, safer rides for students and the communities where we operate – ensuring that they start their day ready to learn and achieve their full potential,” said Kevin Matthews, First Student Inc.’s head of electrification. “With these awards from the EPA, First Student looks forward to continuing our partnership with EPA Region 7 as we work to fulfill our nationwide commitment to replace 30,000 diesel school buses with clean, electric-powered school buses by 2035. We’re excited to be working closely with school districts, utilities and cities across America’s Heartland to provide cleaner rides to school and build the charging and infrastructure needed for the future. We thank the EPA for recognizing First Student’s proposal and the potential of our team to help transform transportation safety and environmental stewardship.”
The Clean School Bus Program is having far-reaching effects across school districts and their surrounding communities. Air pollution from older diesel engines is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and can cause them to miss school. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionately affect communities of color and tribal communities, ensures cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day.
After an extensive review process, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has selected the Notice of Funding Opportunity’s top-tier Missouri applicants to receive this historic investment in their communities.
Proactive and ongoing communication with key stakeholders, like school boards and local utilities, is critical to successful bus and infrastructure deployment. To ensure the successful implementation of the selected projects funding electric buses and charging infrastructure, EPA has created a Utility Partnership Template, which encourages early and robust engagement between the applicant and their utility company. Additional details can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity on the Clean School Bus Program website.
Grantees will work with their EPA regional project officers to finalize project plans and purchase their awarded new buses and eligible infrastructure. As grants are finalized, total amounts awarded and number of buses may be adjusted. EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide grantees with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the school district’s application for funding.
EPA’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, includes both a grant program where selected applicants are awarded funds to purchase buses, and a rebate program that allows selectees to receive awards before purchasing eligible buses that replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Today’s Clean School Bus Grants are the second round of selections announced for the newly created program. EPA will make more funds available for clean school buses in additional rounds of funding.
EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program until Jan. 31, 2024. EPA encourages applicants not selected for the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in current and future funding rounds. Once the application period for the 2023 rebate program closes and the selected school districts are notified, those districts can proceed with purchasing new buses and eligible infrastructure. Selectees will need to submit Payment Request Forms with purchase orders demonstrating they have ordered those buses and infrastructure. After the selectees submit the proper forms, they will be eligible to receive rebate funds. All selectees must submit a Utility Partnership Agreement to verify that the school district’s electric utility provider is aware of the district’s rebate application.
To learn more about the 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, including applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates for future rounds of funding, visit the Clean School Bus Program website. Questions about applying for funding may be directed to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. Questions about Clean School Bus Program technical assistance may be directed to CleanSchoolBusTA@nrel.gov.
About the Clean School Bus Program
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program was adopted under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The program funds electric buses, producing zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, resulting in lower tailpipe emissions compared to their older diesel predecessors.
The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts, and produce cleaner air. Air pollution from older diesel engines 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. Efforts to minimize the effects of these older 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 benefit school districts as they upgrade to cost-saving, fuel-efficient school bus fleets by replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses and freeing up needed resources for schools.
In April 2023, EPA announced the availability of at least $400 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus Grants through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. The grant application period closed in August 2023 with an outstanding response from applicants seeking to purchase electric and low-emission school buses. Given the overwhelming demand and high-scoring applications, including applicants in low-income communities, tribal nations, and territories, EPA has nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded this round to approximately $965 million.
These awards follow over $875 million obligated to new buses from the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 rebates, which funded the replacement of 2,366 buses at 372 school districts to further improve air quality in and around schools, reduce greenhouse gas pollution fueling the climate crisis, and help accelerate America’s leadership in developing the clean vehicles of the future.
Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and/or tribal communities make up approximately 86% of the projects selected for funding. The program 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.
For more information, please email CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.
View the full list of Clean School Bus Grantees.
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