(Grimes, Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand reports 15 Iowa school districts have been awarded a combined $11.5-million in funding from the Clean School Bus Program to replace 32 existing school buses with “clean” or zero-emission buses. In this area, the districts include the:

• Audubon Community School District
• Coon Rapids-Bayard School District
• IKM-Manning School District
• Logan-Magnolia, and the
• Sidney Community School Districts

The program was established by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and provides $5 billion over the next five years to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emissions models that cost less to operate. Auditor Sand says “The Clean School Bus Program saves Iowa school districts millions of dollars. It also shows that when lawmakers from both parties work together, they are more likely to create real solutions that put our kids and our communities on the right path.”

Auditor Rob Sand tours Sea Electric in Grimes

This is the first round of funding from the Clean School Bus Program. Auditor Sand is encouraging Iowa school districts to apply for the second round of funding which will provide an estimated $400 million in competitive grants for clean and zero-emissions school buses. School district officials interested in learning more about the program may email questions to cleanschoolbus@epa.gov. The deadline to submit an application is Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 11:59 pm (ET).

Auditor Sand announced the 2022 awardees during a tour of Sea Electric in Grimes. Sea Electric is a global automotive technology company leading the way in the development of electric drive systems for commercial vehicles including school buses. The tour showcased a school bus that will soon be retrofitted with electric vehicle technology.