Fifteen school districts, charter schools and tribal schools will share nearly $27 million in federal dollars to purchase 114 electric buses as part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday.
Cooper said in a statement that electric buses help protect children from harmful diesel fumes, cut carbon emissions, save money on bus maintenance and repairs, and create good jobs.
“This investment is good for our students, schools, economy and planet and I appreciate the Biden Administration for investing in our communities across North Carolina,” Cooper said.
The state was awarded 31 buses under the Clean School Bus Program in 2022. Cooper’s administration funded 43 electric buses in 2022 through a settlement with Volkswagen. North Carolina received $92 million as part of a nationwide multi-billion-dollar penalty assessed by the EPA on the car company, which violated the Clean Air Act by cheating on millions of emissions tests.
North Carolina has added 188 electric buses within the past two years. The majority of the new buses will be sent to low-income, rural and/or tribal communities that serve more than 300,000 students in 13 counties.
Durham Public Schools will receive 38 buses, which is the largest share of the 114. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will receive 27, Cherokee Central schools 15 and Kannapolis City Schools eight. Five buses have been awarded to two Durham charter schools — Maureen Joy Charter School will receive four, and Reaching All Minds Academy was awarded one bus.