Zero-emission bus survey reveals concerns about mandate

In fall 2023, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 114, the education trailer bill, which appropriated $500 million to fund zero-emission school buses and their supporting infrastructure. Around the same time, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 579, which mandates that all newly purchased or leased school buses must be zero-emission starting in 2035.

Zero-emission refers to any school bus that does not emit waste or pollutants into the atmosphere. Electric school buses are the most popular zero-emission vehicle option that local educational agencies are adopting.

There are several extensions built into AB 579 for LEAs that will not be able to purchase only zero-emission buses after 2035. Beginning in 2035, LEAs can apply to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for one five-year mandate extension. To qualify for the extension, an LEA, upon determination by CARB, must “reasonably demonstrate” that zero-emission buses cannot feasibly provide for the daily transportation needs of its students due to terrain or route constraints.

Beginning in 2040, frontier school districts — those with an average daily attendance (ADA) of less than 600 students or in an area with a population density of less than 10 people per square mile — may request an annual one-year extension until 2045.

Federal and state agencies have begun offering grant programs for buses and associated infrastructure to support this substantial transition. For instance, the California Energy Commission has partnered with CARB to administer the Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) Program. ZESBI administers the $500 million from SB 114 to grantees, with $375 million to support purchases of qualifying zero-emission school buses and $125 million to support infrastructure and other cost incentives.

Electric bus progress

According to the World Resources Institute, around 12,000 electric school buses are committed across 1,535 school districts and fleet operators in the United States. This represents about 2.5 percent of all buses in the country. Committed means that the bus has either been awarded, ordered, delivered or operated. However, highlighting an issue with the delivery time for these vehicles, a much smaller percentage of those committed buses are currently operating. One percent of all school buses in the country, or 4,961 buses, are currently electric and in operation. The discrepancy between the number committed and the number in operation has been mainly due to significant delays between districts ordering these buses and when they arrive.

California has the fifth-largest school bus fleet in the nation, with around 40 percent of those buses purchased before modern federal fuel emission standards. California also has the nation’s largest electric school bus fleet, with over 3,000 committed and 1,400 currently operating. Three California LEAs (Los Angeles Unified School District, Twin Rivers USD and Stockton USD) rank in the top 10 school districts with a mix of committed or operational electric buses.

Superintendents Advisory Council weighs in

Like all mandates imposed on California LEAs, the impact of implementation varies. That impact is compounded in a mandate such as AB 579, due to the substantial costs required for buses, charging stations, professional development, negotiations with utility providers and more. CSBA’s Superintendents Advisory Council surveyed California superintendents to understand better their LEAs’ financial and logistical experiences and plans to transition to zero-emission buses.

The council gathered questions that explored financial implications, logistical planning, personnel, benefits and other critical topics. The survey was sent to all CSBA member superintendents and garnered 154 responses from across the state.

Overall, respondents were not confident in moving toward zero-emission bus purchases and leases by 2035. Sixty-six percent of respondents stated that they were “not so confident” or “not at all confident” that they would be able to comply with the mandate by its deadline, and 11 percent indicated they were “extremely confident” that their LEA could transition to zero-emission buses by the 2035 deadline.

The lack of confidence surrounding the transition suggests a lack of support and adequate guidance. This may cause LEAs to miss critical opportunities or timeline extensions in the following decade of implementation.

Top concerns

Most concerns revolved around cost, infrastructure and personnel. These concerns stemmed from issues LEAs already had with zero-emission buses and anticipated challenges. The top issues in each of these areas are:

Other critical issues related to LEA composition were noted — chief among them was total area covered, climate and terrain in relation to bus range.

Only 49 percent of surveyed superintendents knew of the timeline extension provisions in AB 579, indicating a significant learning opportunity for LEA leaders. LEAs should know their options to make the best decisions for their local circumstances.

Grants

Over half of LEAs represented in the survey have yet to apply for zero-emission busing grants. Currently, numerous state and federal grants are available to aid LEAs in transitioning to zero-emission buses. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offered a Clean School Bus Rebate Program through January 2025. The California Energy Commission runs the School Bus Replacement Program for disadvantaged and low-income communities.

However, creating grant programs puts the onus on LEAs to find grants and compile extensive applications. This is a challenge, as CSBA has described the extensive documentation load that LEAs already face. At the same time, annual state budget uncertainty surrounds whether these grant programs will persist through AB 579’s deadline.

Benefits

While not representing the majority of responses, 21 respondents reported common benefits. The top four are:

1. Positive environmental impacts such as cleaner air.
2. Zero-emission buses produce less noise, which has led to positive feedback from student riders and the community.
3. In some instances, respondents reported decreases in fuel costs when compared to diesel buses.
4. In some instances, superintendents also reported maintenance savings due to the reduction in moving parts on zero-emission buses.

Going forward

The results from this survey will be used to convey statewide concerns to policymakers through additional resources. In spring 2025, CSBA will also host district ride-a-longs to allow decision-makers to see this mandate’s on-the-ground realities on district operations.