Atlanta Public Schools is replacing some of its diesel school buses with 25 electric buses, as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s $5 billion Clean School Bus Program.
The program is a part of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and calls for investment in low- and zero-emission school buses over the next five years.
APS is one of 389 school districts in the nation, and 15 in Georgia, selected for the first round of funding from the rebate program. The district will receive a $9.9 million grant to purchase the buses as well as install the necessary charging infrastructure.
According to a press release, school bus upgrades funded under this program will result in cleaner air on the bus and in bus loading areas, as well as in the communities where the new electric buses operate, ultimately resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.
“Effective transportation plays a critical role in student success,” APS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring said in the press release. “I am proud to be a recipient of this grant which helps to promote an overall healthier environment for our students and communities.”
APS has 417 school buses in its inventory that drive about 4,000,000 miles a year.