EPA announces QCISD to receive 1.7 million in rebates

Queen City ISD is set to receive millions as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program to fund over 3,400 new clean school buses in approximately 530 districts across the nation. According to the press release, Queen City is set to receive 1,725,00 towards “green energy” buses. On the EPA.gov website, it shows that Queen City ISD through the company Lion Electric Co. is set to receive or has received ten buses.

According to the release, the “Biden-Harris Administration announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, funded by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. EPA selected Oakland ISD to receive 690,000, Salado ISD to receive $1,950,000, Bluff Dale ISD to receive $690,000, Hitchcock to receive $345,000, Tatum ISD to receive $1,930,000, Excelsior ISD to receive $710,000, Miller Grove ISD to receive $1,035,000, Natalia ISD to receive $1,725,000, Valley View ISD to receive $2,760,000, Cedar Hill ISD to receive $1,945,000, Evadale ISD to receive $400,000, Princeton ISD to receive $2,200,000, Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD to receive $2,200,000, West Hardin County ISD to receive $400,000, Longview ISD to receive $3,450,000, Kermit ISD to receive $90,000, Queen City ISD to receive $1,725,000, Wyle ISD to receive $4,400,000, San Marcos CISD to receive $2,070,000, and Gary ISD to receive $795,000. The overall funding for the state is $31,510,000 which will be used to purchase a statewide total of 123 new and clean school buses to replace older, diesel-fueled school buses that have been linked to asthma and other conditions that harm the health of students and surrounding communities.

“These rebates will help school districts purchase over 3,400 clean school buses—92% of which will be electric— to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and produce cleaner air in and around schools and communities. Under the Program’s multiple grant and rebate funding opportunities to date, the EPA has awarded almost $3 billion to fund approximately 8,500 school bus replacements at over 1,000 schools.”

“EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson joined schoolchildren, district leaders, and community members in Jackson, Mississippi, to make the announcement and highlight how the program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save schools money, and better protect children’s health, especially in communities already overburdened by pollution. The investment will also drive demand for American-made batteries and vehicles, boost domestic manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs for Americans.”

“President Biden believes every child deserves the opportunity to lead a healthy life and breathe clean air, and his Investing in America agenda is designed to deliver just that,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With today’s latest 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.”

“Today’s announcement is good news for children in Texas, especially those in underserved areas who are often exposed to more air pollution and health risks such as asthma,” said Region 6 Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Replacing diesel fueled buses with clean school buses reduces harmful emissions and improves air quality in communities throughout the nation. I want to offer our congratulations to the selected school districts for their partnership and for implementing environmentally friendly practices.”

“The new San Marcos CISD buses will make sure our children can get to school safely while breathing cleaner air than the generations before them,” said Rep. Greg Casar (TX). “The Biden Administration is making critical investments like this to protect the children of Texas.”

“President Biden has made a clear commitment to the health of North Texas students and the protection and preservation of the environment in which they live. This latest investment of nearly $2 million for Cedar Hill ISD will mean cleaner air and safer students and roads for decades to come,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX).

The release continues… “In September 2023, the EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million for its 2023 Clean School Bus rebates. The rebate application period closed in February 2024 with an overwhelming response from school districts across the country seeking to purchase electric and clean school buses. Given the level of demand, including from low-income communities, Tribal nations and U.S. territories, the EPA doubled the initial amount of available funding in this round to a total of nearly $1 billion.”

“This third round of funding will build on the previous investments of almost $2 billion via the Clean School Bus Program’s 2022 Rebates and 2023 Grants 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.”

“The selections announced will provide funds to school districts in 47 states and Washington D.C., along with several federally recognized Tribes and U.S. territories. Prioritized school districts in low-income, rural, and Tribal communities make up approximately 45 percent of the selected projects and will receive approximately 67 percent of the total funding. The program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

“The EPA is also partnering with other federal agencies through the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to provide school districts with robust technical assistance to ensure effective implementation.

“The EPA is continuing to review selected applications and may make additional awards from this announcement. The EPA is working with those applicants and will notify them of an award if their application meets all program requirements. As additional selections are finalized, the EPA will update the CSB Awards webpage.

The EPA will also make selections through additional rounds of funding, as well as through other funding programs. For example, the EPA is currently accepting applications for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program until 11:59 PM ET on July 25, 2024 – with the EPA offering up to $932 million in available grant funding and anticipates approximately 70% of the available funding to help pay for new, zero-emission Class 6 or 7 school buses. The EPA encourages school districts not selected for the 2023 CSB Rebate Program – and those that did not apply – to participate in currently open funding programs, and future CSB funding rounds.”

About the Clean School Bus Program

“The EPA Clean School Bus Program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion of funding to transform the nation’s fleet of school buses. The Clean School Bus Program funds electric buses, which produce zero tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, which produce 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. 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 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 Clean School Bus Program will save school districts money as they upgrade school bus fleets, replacing existing buses with brand new zero-emission and clean school buses, while freeing up needed resources for schools.”

What is not communicated through the press release is the infrastructure it takes to power these new vehicles, how many miles these new buses can run on a single charge and other impacts to the bus program locally. The Journal-Sun will be following up with more information in the near future.