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Thursday, February 6, 2025

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Trump signs executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports, directing DOJ to enforce; Educators voice concern for PA immigrant student protections; WA rent stabilization bills have huge public support; ME benefits from $2.2 billion in federal clean energy investments.

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Nationwide protests erupt against federal policies, Indiana's EV infrastructure expansion stalls due to a funding freeze, and Washington state pushes for rent stabilization to combat rising housing costs.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

'Checking under the hood' of the electric school bus movement

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Thursday, February 29, 2024   

Most school buses on the nation's roadways are still powered by diesel engines but in North Dakota and elsewhere, there is hope about the push to switch to electric fleets.

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, school systems can seek federal grants and rebates to buy electric buses. This year, the Harvey School District in North Dakota was among the recent funding recipients.

Susan Mudd, senior policy advocate for the Midwest-based Environmental Law and Policy Center, said it is encouraging to see this activity, knowing the benefits that come with it.

"The children or the riders on buses, including the drivers, will experience zero tailpipe emissions," Mudd pointed out. "Which they now do because fumes, unfortunately, often get circulated into buses. "

The electric models also prevent harmful emissions from floating through neighborhoods, especially when buses are idled. Mudd noted it has a positive effect on human health as well as mitigating climate change, as transportation is responsible for nearly 30% of U.S. carbon emissions. Even with federal support, she acknowledged there are still upfront cost barriers in getting electric buses.

Elsewhere in North Dakota, the Mapleton School District recently began running the electric bus it obtained through the federal program.

Jenna Farkas, superintendent in Mapleton, said their small district has a tiny fleet, but thinks the change could still have a big impact.

"Since we do only run one bus, it would only make sense that we could also just run an electric bus and save on fuel, as well as hopefully the maintenance," Farkas explained.

She added they will keep their older diesel model as a backup. As for other challenges, experts studying these efforts say for large fleets, implementing charging infrastructure can create headaches.

Some districts rely on transportation leases, which complicates program requirements to replace old models. There are nearly 500,000 school buses in the U.S., and only a small percentage are electric. Advocates said the program is ushering in several thousand more as applications are processed.


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