Seattle and Spokane are slated to get 25 electric school buses each

Federal funding is coming to 16 Washington state school districts to help pay for a total of 111 electric or propane-powered school buses.

Seattle is slated to get 25 zero- or low-emission school buses, and another 25 will be rolling into Spokane now that federal funding for cleaner buses has opened to school districts across the United States.

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A total of 16 school districts in Washington will get a share of $24 million in federal funding, dedicated to nixing diesel-powered buses and replacing them with cleaner versions. The money will ultimately pay for 111 clean buses across the state — most will be electric, and some will be powered by propane.

The money comes from the Clean School Bus program that was woven into 2021's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D–Wash) is credited with pushing the program through.

“Clean school buses are a huge improvement over diesel buses — they’re better for the environment, better for public health, they save school districts money on fuel, and we’re building them here in America — which is why I worked so hard to get my bill passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," Sen. Murray said in a statement. "Soon, kids from Seattle to Spokane will be riding to school in clean buses and breathing in cleaner air as a result. This is a big win for our kids, our environment, and our economy — and I’m proud to have helped make it happen.”

The electric / propane bus funding was first announced in 2022, when Sen. Murray and Vice President Kamala Harris held an event in Seattle to showcase electric buses. Grants for electric buses were also given in 2022 and 2023.

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For 2024, it was recently announced that 16 schools districts in the state will benefit from the federal money in the form of "rebate funding."

Seattle and Spokane will be getting $7.8 million in rebate funding, and $9.1 million respectively, to purchase electric buses. Other districts, such as Snohomish and Mount Vernon, will put the money toward the purchase of propane buses.

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Other districts include:

• Lake Washington School District: $690,000 for two electric school buses.
• Liberty School District: $200,000 for one electric school bus.
• Republic School District: $345,000 for one electric school bus.
• College Place School District: $400,000 for two electric school buses.
• North Shore School District: $600,000 for three electric school buses.
• Issaquah School District: $1,035,000 for six electric school buses.
• Woodland School District: $2,800,000 for 14 electric school buses.
• Sultan School District: $200,000 for one electric school bus.
• Northport School District: $345,000 for one electric school bus.
• Oak Harbor School District: $75,000 for three propane school buses.
• Snohomish School District: $275,000 for 11 propane school buses.
• Mount Vernon School District: $100,000 for four propane school buses.
• Sedro-Woolley School District: $50,000 for two propane school buses.
• Peninsula School District: $250,000 for 10 propane school buses.