CHICAGO (March 9, 2022) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates, with $1.2 million in rebates directed toward 49 school bus replacements in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Nationwide, the $10 million in DERA rebates will assist with 444 school bus replacements across the country.
In addition, in the coming weeks, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years, to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses.
“Diesel exhaust is especially harmful to children, whose lungs are still developing,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act protects children’s health and the environment by replacing older school buses with newer, cleaner ones.”
These awards are EPA’s latest round of funding for longstanding DERA School Bus Rebates. This year’s program awards approximately $10 million nationwide to fund the replacement of 444 old diesel school buses with new electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses meeting current emission standards. This program will award approximately $1.2 million in funding for 49 school bus replacements in EPA Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Tribes.
List of Awardees:
| State | Selectee Name | Region | Funding Offered/Accepted | # of Buses to be funded |
| IL | Greenfield Community Unit SD 10 | 5 | $20,000 | 1 |
| IL | Peoria Public Schools District 150 | 5 | $100,000 | 5 |
| IL | Staunton CUSD 6 | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| IN | Monroe County Community School Corporation – APP 1 | 5 | $260,000 | 4 |
| MI | Hemlock Public School District | 5 | $60,000 | 3 |
| MI | Ovid Elsie Area Schools | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| MN | Haley Transportation of St Charles Inc | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| MN | Palmer Bus Service of Austin Inc. | 5 | $150,000 | 6 |
| MN | Palmer Bus Service of Minnewaska Inc. | 5 | $50,000 | 2 |
| MN | Stahlke Bus Service, Inc | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| OH | Anna Local Schools | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| OH | Columbiana County Educational Service Center | 5 | $20,000 | 1 |
| OH | Indian Valley Local Schools | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| OH | Riverside Local | 5 | $60,000 | 3 |
| OH | Wadsworth City Schools | 5 | $40,000 | 2 |
| WI | Brandt Buses | 5 | $20,000 | 1 |
| WI | Norwalk Ontario Wilton SD | 5 | $20,000 | 1 |
| WI | School District of Shell Lake | 5 | $25,000 | 1 |
| WI | School District of Westfield | 5 | $60,000 | 3 |
| WI | SD of Alma | 5 | $20,000 | 1 |
| WI | Student Transit – Eau Claire, Inc | 5 | $60,000 | 3 |
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Clean School Bus Program
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides an unprecedented $5 billion over five years for the Clean School Bus Program to replace existing school buses with cleaner models. This spring, EPA plans to announce a new Clean School Bus rebate program for applicants to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses. EPA may prioritize applications that replace school buses in high need local educational agencies, low-income and rural areas, Tribal schools, and applications that provide cost share. To learn more about the upcoming Clean School Bus Program, please visit http://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.
To learn more about the rebate programs, applicant eligibility, and selection process, visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/rebates.
