PHOENIX — Arizona has released $7.5 million in its third and fourth wave of Volkswagen (VW) settlement funds, approving the purchase of new school buses for 35 school districts and charter schools.

Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Monday that the school districts and charter schools have received approval for the purchase of 67 new school buses. The funding is part of the state’s $38 million plan to provide low-income schools with new buses, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“These new buses will have a big impact across the state, especially in rural communities,” Ducey said. “These funds will directly benefit low-income schools while helping ensure the safe transportation of our students to and from school. Arizona will continue to prioritize new investments in our K-12 public schools.”

As SBF previously reported, Ducey released the school bus replacement plan in June. The plan includes the purchase of approximately 280 school buses using VW settlement funds to low-income communities across the state. The plan also provides funding for 60% free and reduced lunch school districts, charter schools, and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to replace buses with over 100,000 miles and older than 15 years.

During a two-month application period in the fall of 2018, school administrators received four training opportunities, on-demand online training resources, and a direct point of contact for technical assistance during the application process.

In the first wave of funding, as SBF reported in December, $15.9 million was awarded to 55 districts and charter schools for the purchase of 142 diesel and alternative-fuel school buses.

The second wave of funding, as SBF reported in January, awarded 22 school districts 76 diesel and alternative-fuel schools buses, totaling $8.4 million.

A full list of recipients for the third and fourth wave of funding can be found here.

To date, Arizona has approved 112 applications from school districts and charter schools, resulting in $31.8 million awarded for 285 buses, according to the governor’s office.

For more information on the plan, go here.