Dozens Of Zero-Emissions Buses Are Coming To 14 LA County School Districts

LOS ANGELES, CA — School districts across Los Angeles County plan to purchase a total of 124 zero-emission school buses thanks to a funding plan approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

That includes Los Angeles Unified School District, which will receive 50 buses as a part of the program.

The $78.2 million in funds will be districted to school districts in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties so they can replace 286 high-polluting school buses with zero-emission models, the agency announced Thursday.

"The new buses are expected to reduce harmful emissions by about 46.3 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 3.5 tons of particulate matter each year, significantly improving air quality, particularly for students," according to an AQMD statement. "More than 87 percent of the new buses will serve overburdened communities, ensuring that cleaner air reaches those who need it most."

Here are the Los Angeles County Districts and the number of buses they will receive:

• Alhambra Unified School District — four
• Baldwin Park Unified School District — three
• Bassett Unified School District — three
• Bonita Unified School District — two
• Covina Valley Unified School District — five
• Hacienda La Puente Unified School District — 10
• Los Angeles Unified School District — 50
• Mountain View School District — five
• Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District — 20
• Saugus Union School District — four
• Sulphur Springs Union School District — three
• Torrance Unified School District — six
• Walnut Valley Unified School District — seven
• Whittier Union High School District — two

The new buses are expected to begin arriving by the middle of 2026.

AQMD began the bus-replacement program in 2001, awarding a total of nearly $372 million in funds from various sources, replacing more than 1,900 diesel school buses with alternative-fuel or zero-emission models, according to the agency.

City News Service contributed to this report.