There’s nothing more powerful than a young person exploring their own potential. But for students to perform at their highest level, they need to be given the right conditions for learning which, without a doubt, include a healthy learning environment. As a nurse for over 25 years and currently as nursing faculty in academia, I have a vested interest in the health of students and the population as a whole.
With that in mind, I was thrilled when I heard the news that voters in the overwhelming majority of districts where electric school buses were on the ballot chose to move ahead with electric school bus procurements. These results show clearly that voters understand the importance of the state legislature’s historic decision to transition the entire state school bus fleet to zero-emission buses by the year 2035.
As a mom of four kids, I see this as critical legislation that has an immense impact on the health of our communities.
Today, the vast majority of the school buses in New York run on diesel fuel. Given the negative health impacts that diesel exhaust exposure has on our children, it haunts me to think of them sitting in traffic, forced to breathe toxic fumes. Diesel exhaust, a known carcinogen according to the World Health Organization, puts kids at increased risk for serious conditions like asthma – the leading cause of chronic disease-related school absenteeism in the United States. It’s also linked to negative cognitive development impacts, endangering students’ academic progress.
And the dangers of diesel exhaust aren’t felt equally. Students from Black households, low-income students and students with disabilities are all more likely to ride the school bus than their counterparts, meaning more exposure to diesel fumes. They also live closest to high truck traffic areas and highways and bear the disproportionate burden.
By switching to zero-emission electric buses, we can promise a healthy ride to school for students who need it most. There are widespread public health impacts to clean school bus standards. For example, more electric vehicles have been shown to help reduce asthma rates.
Luckily, there are exciting opportunities available to help New York districts fund their electric school bus journeys. The EPA’s Clean School Bus Program (CSBP), established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, designates $5 billion to replace diesel-burning school buses in communities across the country. In fact, New York districts have received more than $214 million in federal funding for electric school buses through the CSBP — including $95 million in funding awarded this week, helping to bring hundreds of electric school buses to students across the state.
And the state is working hard to complement federal funding to make the transition as smooth as possible for school districts. The NY School Bus Incentive Program, for instance, is now open for applications, offering $500 million for school districts on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis (so make sure your district knows as soon as possible!) to invest in zero-emission school buses and accompanying charging infrastructure. This funding can be used together with federal CSBP funding to cover the cost difference between an electric bus and a diesel school bus. Additionally, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) continues to develop free resources and trainings covering all things electric school buses and charging.
We’ve already seen great momentum for electric school buses, with thousands already on the road across the country, and New York is leading the way thanks to decisive state action. Electric school buses have been proven to work in widely different climates, from the cold winters of Michigan to the intensely hot summers of Arizona, as well as on difficult terrain like the mountains of North Carolina. They’re more than ready to take on New York’s diverse geography.
As with any transition to a new technology, the transformation of our state’s school bus fleet will take work. But that work starts to feel more doable when we remember why we’re doing it: to provide a clean, healthy ride to school for students and communities across our state.
Jessica Varghese is a registered nurse, a fellow with the Alliance of Nurses for Health Environments and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at New York Institute of Technology.
Jessica Varghese , 2024-06-21 18:03:03
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