South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board has approved up to $78.2 million to replace 286 older, high-polluting school buses with zero-emission models and to install supporting charging infrastructure throughout the region.

This initiative will support 35 public school districts across the South Coast Air Basin, delivering cleaner air to thousands of students and communities. The new zero-emission buses will be distributed as follows: 124 in Los Angeles County, 50 in Orange County, 60 in Riverside County, and 52 in San Bernardino County.

The new buses are expected to reduce harmful emissions by approximately 46.3 tons of nitrogen oxides and 3.5 tons of particulate matter each year, delivering significant public health benefits, particularly for children who are most vulnerable to pollution.

More than 87 percent of the buses will serve overburdened communities, ensuring that the benefits of cleaner transportation reach those most impacted by air pollution.

Delivery and deployment of the buses are anticipated to begin in mid-2026, following vehicle procurement and infrastructure installation.

Funding is provided through a combination of clean air programs, including the Carl Moyer Program, the CARE4Kids Program, and other state and local sources. By leveraging multiple funding streams, South Coast AQMD continues to accelerate the region’s transition to zero-emission transportation.

Since launching the Lower-Emission School Bus Program in 2001, South Coast AQMD has awarded nearly $372 million to help school districts replace or retrofit diesel buses. To date, the program has replaced more than 1,900 diesel buses with alternative-fuel or zero-emission models and retrofitted 3,400 buses with particulate matter traps— ensuring that students across Southern California ride in some of the cleanest school buses in the nation.

The full list of participating school districts can be found here.