Electrifying US School Bus Fleets Equitably to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in Underserved Communities

A report by the World Resources Institute and Equitable Cities analyzing the relationship between school bus fleet age, fuel type, and the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities they serve in the United States, with a focus on the equitable distribution of electric school buses (ESBs).

• Analysis of US school bus fleets indicates that the most polluting vehicles—specifically those that are older and lack modern emissions reduction technology—are disproportionately found in school districts with higher concentrations of residents of color and low-income households.
• While rural school districts are more likely to operate older buses, their overall fleet sizes are smaller.
• As of December 2022, commitments to electric school buses (ESBs) have primarily occurred in districts characterized by lower incomes, higher populations of residents of color, and poorer air quality, a trend attributed in part to state and federal programs prioritizing disadvantaged districts.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Electrifying US School Bus Fleets Equitably to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in Underserved Communities. https://www.wri.org/research/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleets-equitably-reduce-air-pollution-exposure-underserved

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Electrifying US School Bus Fleets Equitably to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in Underserved Communities. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleets-equitably-reduce-air-pollution-exposure-underserved.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Electrifying US School Bus Fleets Equitably to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in Underserved Communities |url=https://www.wri.org/research/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleets-equitably-reduce-air-pollution-exposure-underserved |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendelectrifying, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Electrifying US School Bus Fleets Equitably to Reduce Air Pollution Exposure in Underserved Communities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/electrifying-us-school-bus-fleets-equitably-reduce-air-pollution-exposure-underserved}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }