HARRISBURG, Pa. — Governor Tom Wolf and Senator Bob Casey announced Wednesday, Oct. 26 that 11 Pennsylvania school districts will receive $34.6 million to purchase clean school buses.
The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and will cover the expenses of 89 new school buses.
The clean vehicles will be low- and zero-emission school buses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts and produce cleaner air.
“Clean school buses ensure our children are breathing cleaner air, which will set them up with a brighter and healthier future,” said Sen. Casey. “Thanks to the infrastructure law, school districts across Pennsylvania will be able to protect students’ health and save money, while helping to reduce greenhouse emissions. This is a commonsense solution that benefits our children, our schools and the environment.”
The following grants were awarded in the following school districts:
- Bradford County: Troy Area School District, Rohrer Enterprises Inc., $2.76 million for seven buses
- Dauphin County: Halifax Area School District, Rohrer Enterprises Inc., $1.97 million for five buses
- Dauphin County: Harrisburg City School District, Wolfington Body Company Inc.$3.95 million for 10 buses
- Dauphin County: Steelton-Highspire School District, $2.58 million for seven buses
- Lackawanna County: Scranton School District, Rohrer Enterprises Inc., $9.87 million for 25 buses
- Luzerne County: Greater Nanticoke Area School District, Rohrer Enterprises Inc., $5.9 million for 15 buses
- Mifflin County: Mifflin County School District, Wolfington Body Company Inc., $790,000 for two buses
- Potter County: Northern Potter School District, Rohrer Enterprises Inc., $790,000 for two buses
- Tioga/Lycoming Counties: Southern Tioga School District, Brightbill, M A Body Works Inc., $30,000 for one bus
- Washington County: Washington School District, Navistar Inc., $3.16 million for eight buses
- Washington County: Avella Area School District, Navistar Inc., $2.76 million for seven buses
The new school buses will save school districts money and address the climate crisis by swapping out older, heavily polluting buses for newer, clean buses, which will also free up school resources.
The cleaner air produced by the new school buses is safer to breathe while diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the health of students, bus drivers and school employees.
Phasing out diesel school buses will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
School districts interested in receiving funding can apply for grants through several Department of Transportation programs.
The Driving PA Forward program has grants available for Class 8 clean diesel and electric vehicles, which include school buses.
The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program also offers grants for school districts for alternative fuel and electric vehicles, as well as grants for alternative fuel refueling and electric vehicle charging stations.
