First Student’s Post

Finishing off the week with great news to share- Seven school districts across the state are about to receive a big boost to their transportation services. 🚍 Through the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program competition, the school districts selected will receive a combined $7.865 million federal funds to buy 24 new electric school buses. ⚡ Read more to see which of the state’s school districts will be impacted + how they were selected by the EPA. https://bit.ly/4e3Njyf

Finishing off the week with great news to share- Seven school districts across the state are about to receive a big boost to their transportation services. 🚍 Through the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program competition, the school districts selected will receive a combined $7.865 million federal funds to buy 24 new electric school buses. ⚡ Read more to see which of the state’s school districts will be impacted + how they were selected by the EPA. https://bit.ly/4e3Njyf

My op-ed in today’s EMPIRE REPORT NY highlights the financial and planning resources available to New York State public school districts as they adopt clean, all-electric buses. Bond Act funding can cover up to 100% of the cost difference between an electric bus and a gas/diesel bus, help schools develop fleet electrification plans, and cover the cost of charging infrastructure. NYSERDA is here to help schools with their transition needs including how to access funding, technical planning assistance, and navigating the many electric buses and charging infrastructure options available. Investing in our clean energy future benefits all New Yorkers with cleaner air that results in healthier, climate resilient communities https://lnkd.in/e3NTxD7f

From The Charlotte Observer: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is pressing the accelerator on its rollout of electric school buses. CMS is one of 15 school districts in the state of North Carolina, and 531 nationwide, selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to split $900 million in grant funding to replace old, diesel-powered school buses with electric models. CMS is getting a total of $8.6 million for 25 buses. Including those grant-funded vehicles, the district is bringing in 55 electric buses over the next three school years. It will debut three electric buses in August and 27 more the following school year. The 25 buses funded by the federal grant will enter the fleet in the 2026-2027 year.

School may be out for summer, but the #CleanSchoolBus program is in! 👏 The U.S. EPA recently announced funding for several Ohio school districts to purchase new electric school buses. This program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, improves air quality, saves school districts money, and protects kids' health. Learn more about how federal climate investments are working for Ohio communities: https://ow.ly/E08Z50Sc6bY

How will you create a baseline to monitor cleaner air and surfaces ?

🚍💚 We are thrilled to share that six #Connecticut school districts will be receiving a substantial $21.5 million to fund the purchase of 91 electric school buses. This funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is a significant step toward cleaner air and a healthier environment for our children. “This is wonderful news for Connecticut, as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver for our residents, and especially our school children. Connecticut suffers from some of the worst air quality in the United States, and our children riding on school buses are acutely exposed to the harms of heavy-duty vehicle exhaust. The transportation sector is responsible for 67% of smog-forming air pollution in our state, which exacerbates respiratory illnesses such as asthma. It is also by far the leading contributor of greenhouse gas pollution in our atmosphere, which is driving the climate crisis. We are grateful to the Biden Administration and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation for delivering this impactful funding, which will put 91 more clean-running electric buses on our roads. DEEP is doing its part to support these towns through the CT Clean School Bus program, which will provide funding to help towns implement these EPA awards. We encourage towns to visit the CT Clean School Bus webpage and sign up to receive updates on this program.” - Commissioner Katie Scharf Dykes We're thankful for the support from the Biden Administration and Connecticut’s Congressional delegation in securing this impactful funding. 🌍🍃 For more details on how your town can participate and benefit from the CT Clean School Bus program, check out our website and follow us on LinkedIn for more updates and big news like this from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 🔗 EPA Region One’s Connecticut announcement: Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $21.5 million in rebates for Clean School Buses across Connecticut as part of Investing in America agenda | US EPA (https://lnkd.in/exu8PZCf) 🔗 CT Clean School Bus Program (https://lnkd.in/eZmxdxEz) 🔗 EPA Clean School Bus Program Awards (https://lnkd.in/e8PEpmiV) #CleanEnergy #ElectricVehicles #SustainableTransport #Education #ElectricBus #PublicHealth

Ridership across Los Angeles Metro rail and bus services in September surged 10% compared to September 2022, reaching an average of nearly 1 million rides each weekday. Los Angeles-area students led the charge, with 1.6 million total boardings using LA Metro’s GoPass pilot program that offers free rides to K-12 and community college students. The monthly total marked a return to almost 80% of pre-pandemic levels. 

I am happy to share that our new article just got published online. In this article, we examined California’s facility funding formula and assessed how the current state system facilitates meeting annual investment standards in facility stewardship and upkeep. To do this, we quantified the total school square footage of school facilities and then calculated the current replacement value (CRV) using industry-standard benchmarks of 3 percent of CRV for maintenance & operation (M&O) and 4 percent of CRV for capital renewal. Overall, we find California school districts fail to adequately and equitably invest in school facilities upkeep leaving more than half of students attending subpar school facilities.

In school, transportation, infrastructure, and funding are the unsung heroes, but budget constraints cast a long shadow. Maintenance facilities, vital for bus fleet upkeep, often need more funding due to limited funding. Meanwhile, aging buses strain resources further, presenting safety risks that cannot be ignored. Yet, amidst these challenges, school districts are forced to make tough financial choices, often deferring essential upgrades to stretch limited resources. It's a delicate balancing act that demands attention. Districts can ensure safe and reliable transportation by prioritizing infrastructure investment and seeking creative funding solutions without sacrificing other educational priorities. Let's navigate this road together, mindful of the budget constraints but committed to finding solutions prioritizing student safety and well-being. #BudgetConstraints #SchoolTransportation #InfrastructureInvestment