The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board approved up to $78.2 million to help 35 public school districts replace 286 older diesel buses with new zero-emission models and install charging infrastructure across the South Coast Air Basin.

The project will place new buses in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. According to South Coast AQMD, the investment is expected to reduce an estimated 46.3 tons of nitrogen oxides and 3.5 tons of particulate matter annually, improving air quality for students and surrounding communities.

More than 87% of the new buses will operate in overburdened communities. Vehicle deliveries and deployment are expected to begin in mid-2026 following procurement and infrastructure installation.

Distribution of New Buses

The 286 zero-emission school buses will be allocated as follows:

• 124 in Los Angeles County.

• 50 in Orange County.

• 60 in Riverside County.

• 52 in San Bernardino County.

A full list of participating school districts is available through South Coast AQMD.

Supported by Multiple Clean-Air Funding Programs

The project is funded through several state and local programs, including the Carl Moyer Program and the CARE4Kids Program, along with other clean-air funding sources. South Coast AQMD said combining multiple funding streams allows districts to accelerate their transition to zero-emission transportation.

Since the Lower-Emission School Bus Program began in 2001, South Coast AQMD has awarded nearly $372 million in funding. The program has helped replace more than 1,900 diesel school buses with alternative-fuel or zero-emission models and retrofit 3,400 buses with particulate-matter filters.