Three California school districts are operating fully on zero-emission school bus fleets.
As of May 2024, at least 1,100 zero-emission school buses were deployed at over 300 public school districts and local educational agencies. The districts were able to purchase the school buses partly from funds provided by California Climate Investments.
McKinleyville Union School District and Oakland Unified School District now operate 100% zero-emission school bus fleets, and all of Stockton Unified School District’s general education routes are entirely served with zero-emission school buses.
McKinleyville Union School District, a rural school district in Humboldt County, received a total of $1.5 million to purchase four zero-emission school buses from two California Climate Investments programs — the Rural School Bus Pilot Project and the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Program (HVIP). Over 250 McKinleyville Union students ride zero-emission school buses to school.
The buses have decreased maintenance and fuel costs by approximately 60%. The success of the school bus initiative has encouraged the district to broaden its zero-emission goals, which is now focusing on replacing utility vehicles and grounds and maintenance equipment with zero-emission alternatives.
Oakland Unified School District (Oakland USD) is now operating a fully zero-emission fleet with the help of a third-party student transportation provider, Zum. The district is using a fleet of 74 zero-emission school buses to transport 1,300 special needs students to school daily.
The District was awarded a total of $9.9 million in California Climate Investments Funding from the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program and HVIP as well as additional funding from the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.
“Oakland USD is proud to lead the way with safe and sustainable transportation for our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland USD in a statement. “This is a landmark achievement, especially in Oakland, where families are disproportionately impacted by exposure to air pollution and high rates of asthma and other respiratory ailments.”
In the Central Valley, Stockton Unified School District (Stockton USD) is now running all of its general education routes with 35 zero-emission school buses that were purchased in part with funds received through California Climate Investments. Stockton USD received a $7.3 million Clean Mobility in Schools grant and $2.6 million from HVIP, as well as funding from the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program and the California Energy Commission’s Clean School Bus Program.