School districts that receive and consider the information provided on this page are considered to have consulted adequately with the Air Pollution Control District.
AB 181 is a bill that adds a section to the Education Code requiring school districts to develop a plan by April 1, 2023 (and updated annually) describing their transportation services, in consultation with local air pollution control districts:
“SEC. 14. 39800.1. (b) (1) The Plan shall be developed in consultation with classified staff, teachers, school administrators, regional local transit authorities, local air pollution control districts and air quality management districts, parents, pupils, and other stakeholders.”
The Air Pollution Control District does not review these plans. However, we do offer several funding programs that school districts may utilize when implementing their developed plans. Below are funding programs school districts may use when developing their transportation plans:
Clean Air Grants for School Buses: Along with high-polluting equipment, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (District) has grant funds for diesel powered school bus replacements.
Clean Air Grants for Infrastructure: Grant funds are available for the installation of fueling or energy infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations, to fuel or power covered sources.
Central Coast Community Energy’s Electric Bus Program: This program helps school districts on the Central Coast adopt electric bus fleets for their transportation services.
California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP): HVIP administers point-of-sale vouchers to fund the purchase of zero-emission public school buses.
EPA’s Clean School Bus Program: With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s School Bus Program will provide $5 billion over FY 2022-2026 to replace existing school buses with near zero-emission and zero-emission models.
Funding Finder Tool: School districts may utilize the Funding Finder Tool to search and filter for available school bus grant programs.
While not directly related to transportation planning, school districts may also be interested in the following grants and incentives offered by the Air Pollution Control District and other organizations:
LEEF program: The Landscape Equipment Electrification Fund (LEEF) Program is designed to help landscape businesses and other public and private agencies to adopt zero-emission landscape equipment.
Clean Air Grants for Off-Road Equipment: Replace your Off-Road equipment and help reduce air pollution. Successful projects will be eligible to receive a grant within a range from $10,000 to $250,000.
Teacher Grants for Class Projects: Grant funds are available to help teachers and school districts plan educational events and projects around air quality.
For more information, contact the APCD at (805) 979-8050 or e-mail us at [email protected].
