KILLEEN, Texas — Killeen Independent School District will be doing their part to clear the air in Texas soon. The district has been named a winner of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program.
KISD will be awarded 25 electric buses, as well as $9,875,000 to improve the air quality of both the district and the community.
PIO Taina Maya says KISD was one of only 12 Texas districts selected for the program, and the only district in Region 12 selected
"We are the only district in Region 12 that received the grant," Maya said.
Brittney Grick, an Associate Transportation Researcher at The Texas A&M Transportation Institute, says in the long run, fuel economy and less gas emissions will benefit the kids who ride the buses and the community as a whole.
"Diesel buses get 7.7 MPGE, whereas an electric school bus is gonna get 22.6," Grick said. "So that's that's a major improvement on how far and efficient a vehicle can be."
She says electric buses are the future for school transportation.
"I think moving away from diesel is the best thing for for the children. So I definitely think it's it's the future and the right path forward."
The money will reportedly go towards replacing current school buses with electric, zero-emission or low-emission vehicles instead, as well as installing bidirectional charging stations over the next few years.
The EPA received over 2,000 applications from across the nation for the grant, and selected 391 winners overall.
For more information on the Clean School Bus Program, visit www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus.