The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board on February 7 approved $45 million in funding for public school districts to replace older, diesel-powered school buses with zero-emission buses. The Lower Emission School Bus Program aims to reduce air pollution and children’s exposure to harmful emissions from traditional diesel combustion-engine school buses.

Public school districts may also request up to $20,000 per bus for the purchase and installation of infrastructure to support the new zero-emission school bus.

“Investing in zero-emission school buses is an investment in the health of our children and our communities,” said Vanessa Delgado, Chair of South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board. “This funding helps ensure clean and safe school transportation for our students and reduces exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter emissions.”

Since the program’s launch in 2001, South Coast AQMD has awarded nearly $372 million in local, state, and federal funding to replace over 1,900 high-polluting school buses with new alternative fueled or zero-emission buses. Over 50 percent of these funds have been dedicated to reducing air pollution in overburdened communities within the South Coast Air Basin, providing thousands of children a commute on some of the cleanest school buses in the region.

More than 1,000 public school buses in the South Coast Air Basin are eligible for this funding opportunity. This phase of the program is estimated to reduce emissions by approximately 25 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and four tons of particulate matter (PM) annually.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Public school districts within South Coast AQMD’s jurisdiction, including those participating under a Joint Powers Authority agreement, are eligible to apply.
• Buses must be model year 2005 or older, currently registered with the DMV, and have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 14,000 lbs.
• Old buses must be scrapped after being replaced.

Application Deadline: April 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. PST.

For more information, detailed eligibility requirements, and to apply online, please visit: www.aqmd.gov/schoolbus.

South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. For news, air quality alerts, event updates and more, please visit us at www.aqmd.gov, download our award-winning app, or follow us on Facebook, X(formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram.