Lower-Emission School Bus Program

This page last reviewed January 29, 2013

Overview

The primary goal of the ARB's Lower-Emission School Bus Program is to reduce school children's exposure to both cancer-causing and smog-forming pollution. The program provides grant funding for new, safer school buses and to put air pollution control equipment (i.e., retrofit devices) on buses that are already on the road.

 Agreement between Air Resources Board and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to Fund Statewide School Bus Retrofit Program with State DERA and ARB Funds

On January 18, 2013, the Air Resources Board (ARB) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) fully executed a grant agreement that funds a statewide school bus retrofit program.  The agreement passes U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) funds from a Cooperative Agreement between U.S. EPA and ARB, and funds from ARB, along to SJVAPCD to implement the program.  The grant agreement awards $777,000 – $454,899 in State Diesel Emission Reduction Act funding and $322,101 in ARB funding – to SJVAPCD to retrofit approximately 37 school buses throughout California with ARB-verified Level 3 diesel emission control strategies that achieve at least an 85 percent or greater reduction in particulate matter.

Lower-Emission School Bus Program 2007

Proposition 1B, which was approved by the voters on November 7th, 2006, enacts the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. This bond act authorizes $200 million for replacing and retrofitting school buses.

• Click here for the School Bus Retrofit and Replacement Account page.

ARB Implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program

The Air Resources Board is acting with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) as the implementing agency for 13 local air pollution control and air quality management districts. If your school district, joint powers authority, or private transportation contractor provides transportation to public schools and operates in one of these 13 air districts, then you would apply for funding directly to the SJVAPCD, not your local air district.

SJVAPCD is the implementing agency for the following air districts: Amador, Antelope, Colusa, Feather River, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Mojave, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Siskiyou, and Tehama.

Please see the website for the Lower-Emission School Bus Program at the SJVAPCD.

Historic Lower-Emission School Bus Program 2000 - 2006

The ARB staff, in coordination with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the local air pollution control districts, has developed guidelines for implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program funds. The guidelines cover which buses and retrofits can be purchased, requirements for the CEC and air districts running the program, and the benefits of the program.

Guideline Web Pages for Program Fiscal Years: