3 local districts awarded federal grant money as part of Clean School Bus program

PITTSBURGH — Nearly $1 billion in federal grant money is being used to replace old school buses with zero-emissions and clean school buses. Part of that money is coming to the Pittsburgh area, divided up into three school districts.

First Student is a bus company that serves more than 1,200 school districts in the United States. According to their Head of Electrification, swapping out a majority of their regular school buses for new electric ones is a big goal for the next 11 years.

“Our goal is to electrify 30,000 of our 46,000 school buses by the year 2035,” said Kevin Matthews, Head of Electrification for First Student.

The bus company will be getting some help toward that goal thanks to the Clean School Bus Program Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. They’re getting nearly $39.5 million – which will help buy up to 100 electric buses for four districts across Pennsylvania.

That means up to 15 buses for Laurel Highlands, 15 for New Castle, 45 for Pittsburgh, and 25 for William Penn School District in eastern Pennsylvania.

“These are conditional awards, we have to do a final agreement with the EPA so the numbers could change some, but this funding provides for both school buses and infrastructure,” Matthews told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

The schools and bus companies were chosen based on community needs.

“Higher value was given to dealing with communities that you know, operating at poverty levels, that are already at high risk for asthma and other health impacts that are associated with diesel,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of President Joe Biden’s Environmental Council. “The particular communities in the Pittsburgh area would fit into that category.”

Once these buses are on the road, First Student says the students and community will see a big benefit.

“Not being in a fossil fuel environment is more beneficial for our students, for our drivers, for the areas around the school where the buses pick up and drop off children, as well as in the communities where the buses will be operating,” Matthews said.

First Student said it would take about 18 months before these buses are in service.

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