School districts feel the pinch at the fuel pump, await news on Clean School Bus Program funding, and deal with extreme weather events threatening operations. Plus, the TSD Conference presents advice on leveraging AI as a tool.
Prosper Independent School District in Texas is hosting the hands-on evacuation training as well as The Roadeo Competition at the TSD Conference in a few weeks. Director of Transportation Teri Mapengo talks operational teamwork to better serve student with special needs, as well as meeting school bus fueling and staffing challenges.
While the industry awaits information on the remaining $2.3 billion available through the EPA Clean School Bus Program, three U.S. representatives hope to extend the program through 2031, reauthorizing another $1 billion in funding annually for five more years.
To date, the CSBP has awarded $2.7 billion to replace more than 8,500 school buses, reaching nearly every U.S. state. More than 5,200 electric school buses funded through the program have already been delivered to schools. Ninety-one percent of the new school buses applied for were electric. The remaining 9 percent consisted mostly of propane with a small number of CNG also awarded. No new CNG-powered school bus models are being manufactured.
The Clean School Bus Reauthorization Act builds on the Clean School Bus Program funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021. The program was expected to award $5 billion over five years, through competitive grants and rebates. However, following President Donald Trump’s return to office, the funding has reached a standstill. The last funding opportunity from the EPA was the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, which opened September 2024. However, the EPA canceled the rebate and no organizations received awarded funds. The last round of distributed funds was the 2023 rebate program.
The new legislation would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by replacing the program’s current authorization period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 with fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Under the existing statute, the program is authorized to receive $1 billion annually, totaling $5 billion. Rep. Jahana Hays, D-Conn., introduced the bill Oct. 9 and was joined by Reps. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, and Buddy Carter, R-Ga.
“Since I came to Congress in 2019, I have advocated for clean school bus funding. As an educator with over a decade of classroom experience, I know how damaging diesel exhaust can be for student well-being and learning. The consequences of diesel emissions extend to our environment, exacerbating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions,” Hayes said in a statement. “The Clean School Bus Reauthorization Act will help to provide cleaner and healthier air for school children in Connecticut and across the country, support clean energy jobs, and protect our environment for decades to come.”
The legislation would maintain the existing funding structure, which allocates $500 million annually for clean and zero-emission school buses and another $500 million exclusively for zero-emission school buses. Funding supports the replacement of older school buses with cleaner alternatives.
It does not establish new grant requirements or change program eligibility. Rather, it extends the existing authorization for five additional years.
According to a press release, The Clean School Bus Reauthorization Act is endorsed by the American School Bus Industry Coalition which includes Blue Bird, First Student, Beacon Mobility, National Express, Highland, Greenpower Motor Company, National School Transportation, Student Transportation of America, and IC Bus. Additional endorsers include the American Bus Association, American Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAFA), League of Conservation Voters, Moms Clean Air Force, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists, and World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Electric School Bus Initiative.
“As this bill shows, there’s real enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle to give children the clean ride to school they deserve,” she said. “This bipartisan support is no surprise, as 51 percent of school districts with electric school buses on the road or coming soon are in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.
“The Clean School Bus Program has been a game-changer, answering school districts’ call to replace aging diesel buses with clean, zero-emissions vehicles in rural, suburban and urban communities alike,” Gander continued. “Replacing diesel buses with electric buses protects children from the dangers of diesel exhaust pollution, which disproportionately impacts low-income and Black communities.”
She added that electric school buses are popular with school districts that use them, especially the drivers behind the wheel. The number of ESBs on the road today is 12 times higher than it was five years ago, she noted.
“With diesel prices at record highs, Congress has a chance to help school districts save big on fuel costs and improve children’s health at the same time,” she said.
Meanwhile, First Student posted on Facebook that it welcomes the bipartisan introduction of the legislation.
“As the program’s largest recipient of funding, First Student has seen firsthand its importance in helping bring zero-emission school buses to our customers students and communities we serve,” the post reads. “Continued bipartisan support for this program is important to helping school districts and communities access funding for cleaner school bus technologies, including electric school buses.”
The school bus contractor added that reauthorizing the program would help preserve a pathway for Congress to continue supporting ESBs.
With the return of the Clean School Bus Program reportedly still one month away, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for approximately $180 million through the 2026 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) national grant competition.
Eligible projects include school bus replacements powered by battery-electric, diesel, gasoline and propane as well as after-treatment retrofits and engine upgrades. The DERA funding also covers other diesel vehicles and equipment.
EPA announced the national grants on Sept. 24. Applications are due through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 22, 2027. Selection notifications are anticipated in May, with awards expected in July.
According to the Notice of Funding Opportunity, the national competition combines approximately $65 million from fiscal 2024, $62 million from fiscal 2025, and $53 million from fiscal 2026. Final awards depend on funding availability, application quality and agency priorities. EPA said it expects to award 120 entities, with the maximum amount of each award set at $12 million. No minimum dollar amount was provided.
School Bus Eligibility and DERA Funding Limits
Eligible DERA applicants include public school districts responsible for student transportation that own or operate diesel fleets, other qualifying government agencies and certain nonprofits. For-profit school bus contractors cannot apply directly but may receive support through programs administered by eligible grant recipients, including rebates.
Diesel, alternative-fuel and electric school bus replacements are eligible, subject to program requirements. For selected school bus replacement projects, federal funding is limited to 25 percent, 35 percent or 45 percent of eligible vehicle costs, depending on certified nitrogen oxides emissions. Electric replacements fall under the 45 percent limit, but charging equipment including is ineligible. EPA said charging equipment includes chargers/EVSE, electrical panels or service upgrades, wiring and conduit, design and engineering, electricity, and stationary battery storage.
Existing school buses must be operational, have at least three years of remaining life, and have been owned and operated by the participating fleet owner during the two years before the upgrade. They generally must have accumulated at least 7,000 miles annually during those years.
Replacement projects generally require scrapping or permanently disabling the old bus within 90 days after the replacement becomes operational, with limited EPA-approved alternatives.
National program webinars are scheduled for Oct. 13, Oct. 28 and Nov. 12. Questions about the competition are due Nov. 24.
DERA State Funding and Oct. 1 Webinar
Separately, EPA said last week it anticipates approximately $27 million in DERA state funding for fiscal 2025 and another $27 million for fiscal 2026 — approximately $54 million combined, subject to appropriations.
That funding is allocated by formula rather than through the national competition. Participating states and territories will receive both fiscal years’ funding in one grant to support state-administered grants and rebates. School buses are eligible.
States that match their federal base allocation with qualifying nonfederal funding can receive an additional federal incentive equal to 50 percent of that base allocation.
EPA held an Oct. 1 webinar that provided an overview of the state program. State and territorial notices of intent to participate are due Oct. 8, with final allocations scheduled for Oct. 15. Application packages are due Nov. 19.
Those deadlines apply to participating states and territories, according to EPA. School districts seeking state-administered funding should follow their state agency’s grant or rebate process.
Article written with the assistance of AI and EPA documents.
While routing and infrastructure shape fuel use at a macro level, vehicle idling represents one of the most immediate and controllable sources of waste.
Most districts have idling policies that meet or exceed state requirements, with exceptions for extreme weather. Historically, however, enforcement has been inconsistent due to a lack of data.
Telematics has changed that. School districts can now track idling time by vehicle, route, and driver, making it possible to identify patterns and enforce policies more effectively.
Data-driven approaches to idling typically combine policy enforcement with education and route optimization. Rather than treating idling as a disciplinary issue, district leaders use data to identify root causes and adjust operations accordingly.
“Idling is the clearest example of a problem that was previously invisible and is now entirely measurable,” said Craig Berndt, Geotab business segment manager of people transportation. “Most districts have an idling policy. Very few, until recently, had any way to know whether it was being followed.”
Berndt noted the emerging standard across many of the school districts with which Geotab works is a two- to five-minute engine-on idle limit. It can be longer in extreme weather conditions.
“Some states have regulatory requirements that align with this,” he said. “But the policy itself only has value if it’s enforced, and enforcement requires data.”
Complicating matters is H.R. 9317, which was introduced to Congress in June. Known as the BUSES Act, short for Buses Utilizing Safety and Environmental Standards, it would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit state and local governments from enforcing engine idling restrictions on over the road buses and school buses if the engine idles for less than 15 minutes. It would also ban lawsuits filed against school bus owners or operators for alleged idling violations. The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the BUSES Act on Wednesday.
Still, Berndt noted telematics enables automatic idling alerts: A notification to a supervisor when a bus has been idling beyond the threshold, with location, driver and duration.
“This shifts enforcement from reactive, a complaint from a principal about exhaust near the front entrance, to proactive. And it creates an accountability loop that changes behavior over time,” he said. “Drivers who know their idle time is visible tend to idle less, not because of punitive pressure but because the visibility makes the issue concrete rather than abstract.”
Berndt noted the cost case is straightforward: A diesel school bus burns approximately 0.8 gallons per hour at idle.
“For a 100-bus fleet idling an average of 30 excess minutes per day, that’s 40 gallons per day in waste, $80 to $120 at current prices every operating day of the year,” he said. “With telematics-driven enforcement, districts routinely cut excess idle time by 30 to 50 percent.”
Beyond fuel, the idling conversation matters for public perception in ways that are becoming more acute, noted Berndt.
“School communities are increasingly attentive to emissions around buildings and bus queues, and districts that can demonstrate they’re actively managing and measuring this are in a much better position when parents or advocacy groups raise the issue,” he said.
St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools supports school bus and vehicle contractor Zum’s idling policy, and Zum’s engine‑on/engine‑off data helps them enforce it, said Transportation Director Kacy L. Davis.
While Zum does not publicly state its idling policy, the company limits unnecessary school bus idling and trains drivers to minimize idle time by using routing technology to reduce waiting and fuel consumption. Meanwhile, The Missouri Department of Natural Resources encourages school districts to adopt anti-idling policies for school buses. Several counties including St. Louis and the Kansas City Ozone Maintenance Area restrict bus idling to 15 minutes in any 60-minute period to maintain passenger comfort.
“Reducing idling lowers fuel costs, improves air quality around schools and reduces engine wear,” he added. “Together, these tools give us a clear picture of how routing decisions affect fuel use, maintenance, and overall operational efficiency.”
SLPS also is preparing to launch a 30‑bus electric fleet in the 2027–2028 school year through the EPA Clean School Bus Program as part of the district’s broader Future Ready initiative to modernize operations and improve the student transportation experience.
RENO, Nev. – The Green Bus Summit at STN EXPO West in July explored how efficiency and modernization are reshaping student transportation. Experts shared practical strategies for using cleaner powertrains, connected technology, operational data and resilient infrastructure to reduce costs, improve reliability and prepare school bus operations for the future.
Cummins
Nicole Wheeldon, general manager of busing for North America at Cummins, joined Chris Karlin, account manager for International Motors; Matthew McGinn, senior director of e-mobility sales for Accelera by Cummins; and Matthew McClure, current product and OEM service manager for Bus North America at Cummins. They discussed how emissions regulations, technology and staffing challenges are shaping school bus purchasing and operations.
The panelists said fleets should take a holistic approach to fleet electrification that considers funding, reliability and performance alongside emissions compliance. They noted that software and automatic updates can improve efficiency by reducing service visits. The panelists also highlighted vehicle-to-grid capabilities, describing electricity as a low-cost energy that could provide districts with additional operational and community benefits.
Responding to attendees’ questions about electric school bus service, the panelists acknowledged that workforce shortages remain a significant obstacle. “There is a shortage of qualified EV techs and it is an industry issue,” they said. The lack of trained technicians can extend repair delays and discourage districts from adopting electric vehicles, making local service capacity an important consideration before purchasing buses.
The panelists reported progress on electric bus diagnostics and trouble codes, as well as efforts to reduce repair times through third-party battery assistance. Regarding parts availability, speakers confirmed that, “The parts channels are in better shape than they were a year ago in general.”
Cold-weather performance was another focus. The panelists pointed to electric fleets successfully operating in Canada and Alaska and explained how battery thermal management systems both heat and cool the batteries.
They also advised B20 users to closely monitor storage and maintenance because biodiesel attracts water. Cummins, they established, continues evaluating alternative fuels and investing in gasoline products to give districts more fleet-diversification options.
McGinn highlighted the first school bus application for the fourth-generation 14Xe ePowertrain by Cummins-Meritor. The system integrates the motor and transmission and, he said, its three-speed configuration “allows [drivers] to operate the vehicle with better range.”
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
IC Bus
Matthew Milewski, connected vehicle marketing director for IC Bus parent company Navistar, joined Chad Duncan, specification manager for IC Bus and Maurine Simons, transportation director for North Mason School District in Washington state, to discuss using data to improve fleet safety, maintenance and efficiency.
Milewski said student transportation departments are under increasing pressure from technician and driver shortages, limited budgets, safety requirements, parent expectations and sustainability goals. With many operations “doing more with less,” he explained that connected buses can help answer routine questions about vehicle locations, delays, maintenance needs, driver performance and developing mechanical problems.
Technology allows transportation departments to monitor routes, vehicle speed and timestamps, giving staff objective information when investigating incidents or responding to questions. Milewski said connected technology can also generate AI-driven weekly driver reports and flag events requiring additional review. Camera-based systems can alert drivers about issues such as failing to wear a seatbelt, while real-time information can support route adherence, stop accountability and parent communication.
Milewski contrasted traditional maintenance, where a driver must notice a problem before technicians diagnose it and order parts, with a connected operation. With the latter, the vehicle reports an issue to fleet managers, who can then order repair parts and schedule shop time before the bus arrives. He shared how the OnConnect Connection feature through IC’s My International fleet management system helps districts minimize downtime.
Simons shared that she began using the connected platform years ago as a technician, particularly to identify and order parts. After becoming transportation director, she continued using it to track bus information and save staff time.
Duncan advised directors purchasing vehicles to use operating data when specifying horsepower, transmissions, fuel capacity, axles, tires or electric bus battery range. He urged attendees to stay ahead of state safety regulations and plan realistically for fleet advancements in safety technology.
Milewski encouraged directors to ask, “What information do I wish I had every day that I don’t have today?” and “What decisions am I still making based on assumptions?” He added that My International is available through dealerships with a five-year subscription and can support mixed fleets, not only International buses.
Suburban Propane sales representative John Barnett moderated a discussion with Douglas Dagan, executive vice president of renewable energy at Suburban Propane; Scott Bradley, executive vice president at Pioneer eMobility; Brad Beauchamp, EV product segment leader for Blue Bird; and Nikita Mishra, industry application engineer for ABB’s automotive and battery manufacturing segment. They examined how off-grid charging and microgrids can help districts deploy electric buses despite utility delays or limited grid capacity.
Beauchamp advised transportation directors to evaluate infrastructure as soon as funding is identified, and district leadership approves an electric bus project. Asked when that process should begin, he replied, “That actually comes before you order the bus.”
He and Mishra agreed that early discussions between the district and utility will determine their power demand, equipment availability and desired mix of energy sources before design work begins.
Mishra revealed that infrastructure projects can take anywhere from several months to several years. She noted that lead times for some equipment, including transformers, can reach 75 weeks.
Likewise, Bradley urged districts to “call your utility early.” He said Pioneer eMobility can deliver certain systems within three to four months.
When permanent infrastructure is delayed, propane-powered off-grid charging systems can serve as a temporary or supplemental solution.
“Propane is available everywhere,” Gagan noted, adding that renewable propane is a fast-growing option that is chemically identical to conventional propane but produced from renewable sources.
Bradley pointed to Los Angeles Unified School District, where 180 of 220 electric Blue Bird buses are charged using “25 off-grid electric vehicle charging microgrids.”
Panelists said mobile charging can also support field trips, sporting events and emergency operations or help districts test potential sites before installing permanent infrastructure. Barnett explained how microgrids combining propane generators, battery storage and other energy sources could charge buses and power facilities during outages or reduce demand charges through peak shaving.
Speakers encouraged districts facing grid constraints to consider the entire charging “ecosystem,” including the bus, chargers, generation source and future vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building uses.
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
Thomas Built Buses
Mark Childers, powertrain and technology sales manager for Thomas Built Buses, moderated a discussion with Alec Watson, account manager for Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles within Cummins, and Trystan Thomas, director of transportation for Shasta Union High School District in California. They discussed evolving diesel technology, Cummins’ forthcoming B6.7 Octane gasoline engine and the factors districts should evaluate when selecting powertrains.
Watson said the B6.7 Octane was developed for the medium-duty and school bus markets using feedback from OEMs and customers. Built on the B6.7 diesel platform, the gasoline engine is designed to provide a similar torque curve, drivability and performance while eliminating diesel exhaust fluid and diesel particulate filter management. Cummins, Allison Transmission and Thomas Built Buses are collaborating on its integration.
Thomas Built Buses expects production to begin during the first quarter of 2027, initially for the Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus. Panelists clarified that the engine will meet the EPA’s near-zero emissions standard but is not a zero-emissions product. It will initially be offered only on new buses, not as a retrofit.
Watson said Cummins has trained and certified approximately 700 to 750 dealers on the new engine. Technicians already certified on the B6.7 diesel can complete an online course and test rather than attend additional in-person technical training. Cummins is also preparing its Cummins Care technical support operation and adding field service engineers.
Thomas encouraged directors to examine route mileage, terrain, field trips, infrastructure, technician capabilities and total cost of ownership. His district remains predominantly diesel because some routes exceed 120 miles per day, including steep grades or support out-of-town trips. “Anything alternative, you just got to do your homework,” he said.
Districts must also examine funding carefully. Thomas recalled receiving $5,000 per bus for electric infrastructure that ultimately cost $70,000, requiring the district to supply the difference.
Watson cautioned directors against selecting a technology simply because it is exciting. “Just because the octane engine is new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s necessarily for you,” he said.
“I believe that successful fleets will remain technology-neutral and evaluate solutions based on the operational fit rather than the trends alone,” Thomas agreed. “The future is likely to include a mix of diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas and battery electric solutions.”
Real-time Visual Notes created by Ink Factory.
Article written with the assistance of AI and session transcripts.
We analyze the conversations at the National School Transportation Association’s annual convention, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study on autonomous vehicle safety, and how student transporters can respond to the evolving trends of AI and new technology.
Cameron Wood, the lead electric vehicle performance analyst for school bus contractor Student Transportation of America, shares how his technical background led him to brainstorm an EV charging solution and accept the Innovator of the Year award at STN EXPO West this month.
Login
