On May 31, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $96 million to New York State schools through its Clean School Bus Rebate Program to replace more than 350 existing fossil fuel buses with clean, electric buses. The Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns, located in Tarrytown, NY, was awarded $1.02 million to purchase 5 electric school buses. This marks a major milestone in the campaign of the Mothers Out Front Westchester Rivertowns team, which started advocating for electric school buses in Tarrytown back in 2019.
Our journey began when team members learned about the serious health impacts that can result from riding diesel school buses, and about the major climate benefit of transitioning to zero-emission buses. The team gathered research on electric school buses, as well as state funding sources, and met with their school district administrators. The administration was tentatively receptive, and the MOF team continued to make their case, including speaking at school board meetings and publishing a letter to the editor in the local newspaper. The team also tabled at the local farmers market to build community awareness and support. They coordinated with the Northern Westchester Mothers Out Front team to present a County-wide electric school bus webinar in partnership with the County Executive’s office.
In March of 2020, just before the Pandemic, the team’s state Assembly Member, with whom they had also been meeting, offered to give their school district funding to help cover the upfront cost difference between an electric bus and a standard diesel bus. That motivated the school administration to pursue a second state grant, all of which eventually led to the district purchasing its first electric school bus, which arrived in 2023. The district celebrated its arrival with MOF at a ribbon-cutting ceremony as part of its Back to School Bash that August.
Fortunately, New York State and the federal government (thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) have since developed more robust electric school bus funding programs, including money for charging infrastructure and assistance with fleet electrification planning. And the Tarrytown district is helping to lead the way to a healthier, more sustainable future for our children.