WEXFORD, OTSEGO COUNTIES — Students in Cadillac and Vanderbilt will see new cleaner school buses added to their districts after the Michigan Department of Education awarded nearly $44 million in the final round of its Clean Bus Energy Grant program.
According to the MDE, the funding is part of a $125 million statewide initiative to replace older diesel buses with electric and propane models.
In the final round, Cadillac Area Public Schools received $444,000 and Vanderbilt Area Schools received $419,255.
Funded through Section 74b of the 2024 State School Aid Act, the program has supported the purchase of approximately 322 electric and 54 propane school buses statewide, removing 376 diesel buses from operation.
With the final round, an additional 99 electric and 10 propane buses will be added to fleets across Michigan, eliminating more than 100 of the state’s oldest diesel buses.
Michigan’s Clean Bus Energy Grant program aims to reduce harmful emissions and promote healthier air quality by converting older diesel buses to low- or no-greenhouse gas emission buses, as determined by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the program has helped districts buy and use clean school buses while keeping the air in and around schools cleaner.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to provide 100 school districts with 376 clean buses,” Whitmer said. “Let’s keep working together to protect our air, land, and water for future generations.”
State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko said the grants support Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan.
“Our students deserve to travel to and from school in buses that are best for our local school districts and our environment,” Maleyko said. “The Clean Bus Energy Grant program helps us move toward Goal 3 in Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, to improve the health, safety and wellness of all learners.”
Officials said award letters have been distributed to school districts and funds were disbursed in the February state aid payment.
Justine Johnson, Michigan’s chief mobility officer, said transitioning school bus fleets to cleaner technologies supports sustainable transportation goals outlined in the MI Future Mobility Plan 2.0.
“Programs like the Clean Bus Energy Grant demonstrate how we can align environmental progress, infrastructure investment and economic opportunity to deliver mobility solutions that improve quality of life while strengthening Michigan’s leadership in the future of transportation,” Johnson said.
Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said investments in environmentally friendly buses protect students and communities while advancing clean energy goals in the MI Healthy Climate Plan.
Kindra Weid, coordinator of the It’s Electric Coalition, said districts transitioning to cleaner buses are experiencing lower maintenance costs, quieter rides and improved air quality.
The grant program provided districts with a funding source to upgrade transportation fleets at a time when federal programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program, have reduced per-bus funding and have been unpredictable in timing, officials said.