WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of a campaign to teach communities about the benefits of propane-powered transportation, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has donated $25,000 to teachers at schools that use propane buses.

PERC is partnering with journalist and former teacher Jenna Bush Hager and the nonprofit AdoptAClassroom.org to donate the funds.

"It's clear when you talk to school administrators and transportation departments that they are saving more than just dollars and cents by going with propane buses," Hager said. "The switch is improving their school as a whole and giving them the opportunity to invest in more teachers or school programs."

PERC’s donation will benefit teachers at four schools this fall in school districts in San Antonio, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Orlando, Florida; and Reno, Nevada.

The transition from diesel to propane buses has been reported in at least 20 of the top 25 designated market areas, and four of the 10 largest school districts in the country are using them, according to PERC.

"As a former teacher and parent, I know that the school day begins and ends on the bus," Hager added. "When we give our kids a safer, healthier start to the day, it can improve their entire experience in the classroom and at home, too."

For more information on propane school buses, including bus safety tips for parents and kids courtesy of the National Association for Pupil Transportation, visit BetterOurBuses.com. To donate locally to teachers, visit AdoptAClassroom.org.