The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing funding to eight Tennessee school districts to purchase more than 40 clean school buses to reduce their fleets’ emissions.
According to a recent announcement from the EPA, the funding comes from the EPA’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program, which is part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda. It said the program provides rebate funding to selectees to replace older diesel-fueled school buses, which are linked to asthma and other respiratory issues in surrounding communities. This round of recipients included:
- Cumberland International Trucks, Inc., which will use $690,000 in rebate funding to purchase two clean school buses for the Bledsoe County School District.
- The Cheatham County Board of Education, which will use $375,000 to purchase eight clean school buses for the Cheatham County School District.
- Mid-South Bus Center, Inc., awarded $5,175,000 to purchase 15 clean school buses for the Davidson County School District.
- Cumberland International Trucks, Inc., awarded $2,070,000 to purchase six clean school buses for the Henry County School District.
- Cumberland International Trucks, Inc., which will use $1,035,000 to purchase three clean school buses for the Jackson County School District.
- Cumberland International Trucks, Inc., which will use $880,000 to purchase four clean school buses for the Maryville School District.
- The Obion County School District, which will use $400,000 in rebate funding to purchase two clean school buses.
- Cumberland International Trucks, Inc. which will use $1,380,000 in rebate funding to purchase four clean school buses for the Wayne County School District.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said the program hopes to help school districts achieve zero emissions, which will help them save money and better protect children’s health.
“With [this] round of funding, we are transforming the nation’s school bus fleet to better protect our most precious cargo—our kids—saving school districts money, improving air quality, and bolstering American manufacturing all at the same time,” he said in a statement.
The funding marks a major milestone for schools that hope to reduce emissions drastically in the years ahead, according to Cheatham County School District spokesperson Tim Adkins.
“This funding will go toward the purchase of seven propane-powered school buses and one electric school bus. We have been investigating transitioning to a cleaner, more efficient transportation system for several years. In our current five-year strategic plan, we set a goal of incorporating one electric bus into our fleet and this funding will provide us with this opportunity. We’re excited to embark on this journey as this initiative will reduce our carbon footprint and foster a sustainable future for our students,” he said.
According to the EPA’s announcement, the rebate application period closed in February 2024, with an outstanding response from school districts across the country seeking to purchase buses with lower emissions. It said that due to high demand among low-income and indigenous communities in particular, the EPA recently increased this year’s funding for the program. This third round of funding will build on the previous almost $2 billion investment via the 2022 Rebates and 2023 Grants for clean school buses, EPA officials added.
As part of the program, the EPA is also partnering with the Joint Office of Energy and Department of Transportation to provide districts with technical support services that will ensure effective implementation. The EPA will update the CSB webpage as additional selections for the program are made moving forward, officials said.
