The Hillsborough County School District is among five in the state selected to receive electric school bus rebates, as part of a federal program within the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
It's the second round of rebates from the federal Clean School Bus Program to replace diesel buses with electric school buses.
The burning of fossil fuels, like diesel, releases heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, which increases global warming and sea level rise.
The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council recently released a report showing transportation as being the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions for the region. Transportation is number one nationally, according the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Miami-Dade, Broward, Duval, and Jefferson are the other districts selected to receive the rebates. Polk has also been tentatively selected, awaiting a review process.
Hillsborough would get 20 buses, 25 for Broward, 10 for Duval, 8 for Jefferson, and 25 for Miami-Dade.
Separately, Hillsborough was the recipient of grant funding, also through the federal Clean School Bus Program for 20 buses in December. So, Hillsborough would have a total of 40 buses out of 263 statewide, if every district selected to receive funding through the grants and rebates officially accepts them.
"Our children deserve a healthier ride to school, when a student steps on an electric school bus. They know that we care about their health and the future of the planet that they will inherit,” said Mia McCormick, an advocate with Environment Florida.
“The largest impacts will be on school grounds. Twice a day these buses pull into the parking lots outside area schools and fill the air with toxic pollution. Replacing them with electric buses will make a difference in the air our students breathe every day they go to school.”
According to the EPA, exposure to diesel exhaust can lead to serious health conditions, like asthma and respiratory illnesses and can worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly.
These conditions can result in increased numbers of emergency room visits, hospital admissions, absences from work and school, and premature deaths.
“There have been some studies that suggest that children exposed to diesel exhaust fumes score poor on standardized tests. It's also a leading cause of absenteeism,” said Emily Pickett, the Florida organizer for Moms Clean Air Force.
She has two children in Hillsborough County Public Schools.
"I worked toward this because I think it's going to make a difference long-term, not just today for our children's health in making sure they have a cleaner ride to school, but also just helping in that transition away from fossil fuels."
If the recently selected districts choose to accept the funds, the electric buses will need to be on the road by 2026.
They would join Dixie, Glade and Lafayette counties, which were picked in the first round of rebates for 2022.
