Electrifying the US School Bus Fleet: How to Put Children First in the Zero-emission Transition

This statement from the World Resources Institute advocates for the electrification of the United States school bus fleet to protect children's health, address environmental inequities, and stimulate domestic manufacturing. It specifically supports the Clean Commute for Kids Act and the American Jobs Plan to overcome the high initial procurement costs of electric buses.

• The United States has approximately 480,000 large yellow school buses, nearly all of which are powered by diesel and emit carcinogens. While electric buses have lower long-term operating costs, their initial procurement costs can be nearly three times higher than those of diesel buses, making them unaffordable for most funding-strapped school districts.
• Diesel bus pollution significantly harms children's health and academic performance. Pollution levels inside emitting buses can reach 10 times ambient levels, which is associated with reduced lung development—comparable to the impact of maternal smoking—as well as cognitive impairment and short-term fluctuations in attention for primary school students.
• The transition to electric buses addresses racial and economic inequities, as air pollution burdens are unevenly distributed. In the mid-Atlantic and northeast regions, communities of color experience vehicle air pollution levels that are, on average, 66% higher than those of white residents.
• Scaling electric bus production would support domestic manufacturing and the broader auto industry. Major manufacturers Blue Bird in Georgia and Thomas Built in North Carolina would increase employment if funding is provided, potentially attracting further investment from electric vehicle component suppliers.
• Legislative proposals like the Clean Commute for Kids Act and the American Jobs Plan aim to fund this transition. The Clean Commute for Kids Act proposes $25 billion over 10 years to replace diesel buses, prioritizing low-income, Indigenous, and communities of color. The American Jobs Plan proposes investing approximately $20 billion over 5-8 years to electrify at least 20% of the fleet.
• Currently, less than 1% of US school buses are electric. Transitioning to electric buses could save schools approximately $2,000 in annual fuel costs and $4,400 in annual maintenance costs after the initial purchase.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Electrifying the US School Bus Fleet: How to Put Children First in the Zero-emission Transition. https://www.wri.org/insights/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleet-how-put-children-first-zero-emission-transition

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Electrifying the US School Bus Fleet: How to Put Children First in the Zero-emission Transition. 2021. https://www.wri.org/insights/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleet-how-put-children-first-zero-emission-transition.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Resources Institute |title=Electrifying the US School Bus Fleet: How to Put Children First in the Zero-emission Transition |date=21 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleet-how-put-children-first-zero-emission-transition |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldresourcesinstitute2021electrifying, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Electrifying the US School Bus Fleet: How to Put Children First in the Zero-emission Transition}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleet-how-put-children-first-zero-emission-transition}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }