Local opinion: Freedom to ride means clean school buses for all

Arizona’s schoolchildren are still riding buses that fill their lungs with diesel exhaust, even though billions in federal funding for clean, electric school buses is ready to go. We are calling on Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Sen. Mark Kelly, and Sen. Ruben Gallego to push the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately release these funds so Arizona families aren’t left behind.

For generations, the yellow school bus has been a symbol of opportunity and community. But that ride often comes with a hidden cost: diesel exhaust seeping into the cabin and onto sidewalks, harming kids, parents, and neighbors alike. The same bus that carries our children’s dreams also leaves behind pollution that damages their health.

We now have a chance to write a new chapter in this American story: one built on innovation, energy independence, and freedom. Electric school buses give students the ability to ride safely, free from tailpipe pollution, while helping school districts modernize their fleets. At the same time, they advance energy independence by cutting reliance on volatile diesel markets and keeping more dollars in our local economies. And as families gain the freedom to breathe cleaner air, communities gain the freedom to reinvest savings of up to $100,000 per bus back into classrooms and into building a stronger, more resilient economy.

This transformation had a strong start. Through the bipartisan Clean School Bus Program passed by Congress in 2021, the EPA has funded more than 8,500 low-emission school buses across 49 states. In Arizona, the impact hits home: over 16,500 children in Pima County live with asthma, and cleaner rides mean fewer missed school days and healthier lungs. That’s why Tucson Unified School District will soon roll out 10 new electric buses, thanks to a partnership with Tucson Electric Power and Schneider Electric.

But right now, progress is stalling. Nearly $2.3 billion in Clean School Bus Program funds are frozen, leaving districts, including many in Arizona, in limbo. At the same time, the EPA is considering rolling back clean truck standards, which would increase emissions and threaten public health. Stalled bus investments and weakened truck standards put children’s health, American jobs, and energy independence at risk. Arizona alone has 64,000 clean-energy jobs, with 4,400 tied to EV technologies. Nationwide, the EV industry has spurred $224 billion in investments and created 240,000 jobs. With a major manufacturer’s bankruptcy already leaving districts without buses or warranties, families can’t afford more uncertainty. Dismantling standards now would slow momentum and deepen dependence on volatile foreign oil.

Our combined experiences — as a mom and as a youth climate advocate — drive us to speak out. Together, we have spent years working with families to protect public lands, clean air, and access to nature, and advocating for the Tucson School Districts to invest in electric school buses. We know firsthand how climate solutions like these directly benefit our children’s health and well-being, and we know the setbacks we face only underscore the need for more decisive action. These hurdles don’t change the bigger picture: schools need clean buses, children need clean air, and the economic and health benefits are too great to ignore.

That’s why we are calling on our federal representatives, Rep. Ciscomani, Sen. Kelly, and Sen. Gallego, to stand with Arizona families, oppose the EPA’s rollback of clean truck standards, and demand the immediate release of Clean School Bus funding.

The freedom to ride should mean the freedom to breathe, to save, and to lead. Electric school buses can deliver all three. Arizona’s children deserve nothing less — and they need their leaders in Washington to deliver.