WMCI: Budzinski Announces $11.3 Million for 40 New School Buses in Springfield, Urbana and Edwardsville

WMCI

June 3, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that school districts in Springfield, Urbana and Edwardsville will be receiving a combined $11,395,000 in funding for 40 clean school buses. The funding comes through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition which aims to protect the health of students and the environment while reducing vehicle energy costs.

“Ensuring that our students get to and from school in a safe and healthy way should be one of our top priorities,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m excited to join the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in announcing more than $11 million for school districts in Central and Southern Illinois as a part of the Clean School Bus Program. These resources will help our communities buy new, clean school buses that not only help the environment, but protect students’ health from tailpipe emissions.”

A summary of bus grants allocated to each recipient can be found below: 

• Springfield SD 186 will receive $7,935,000 in rebate funding to purchase 23 clean school buses.
• Urbana SD 116 will receive $3,060,000 in rebate funding to purchase 15 clean school buses.
• Edwardsville CUSD 7 has been selected to receive $400,000 in rebate funding to purchase 2 clean school buses.

The Clean School Bus Program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts and reduce air pollution in communities across the country. Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and cause them to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities. Phasing out these diesel engines will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers and school staff working near the bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling climate change. The program will also save school districts money as they upgrade school bus fleets, replacing older, heavily polluting buses with brand new clean school buses, while freeing up needed resources for schools.