Schools lined up for funding to switch to cleaner buses, but the EPA funding was put on hold.

To reduce pollution from its diesel school buses, a school district in Oklahoma doubled the number of electric buses it owns last year.

Shawnee Public Schools, which serves 3,300 students and is located about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City in a county that strongly supported President Donald Trump, believed the $1.5 million spent on four electric buses would be refunded by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program. The agency, under President Joe Biden, had promised last year to provide that money using funds from a large infrastructure law passed by Congress.

The district asked for the money back in November but was told there would be a delay due to a technical problem. Since Trump became president, the district has been calling and emailing the EPA regularly, but has not received any replies. They now worry that they won’t get the money back.

“Our district made this investment in good faith, expecting the promised rebate to be delivered in a timely manner,” John Wiles, the district’s director of transportation, said. “The buses are here, they are in service, and they are benefiting our students and community — but the lack of reimbursement has created unnecessary financial strain.”

Hundreds of other school districts across the country are in the same situation. More than 500 of them are still waiting on around $1 billion from the EPA to help pay for more than 3,400 electric buses.

This has caused worry and confusion for school districts that now have to find other ways to pay for the buses or may have to delay or cancel their orders. The delay is affecting the companies that build the buses, those that sell them, and the companies that manage transportation for school districts. The National School Transportation Association, which represents private school bus companies, said the delay is “extremely disruptive.”

The EPA has not said why the funds are delayed or whether they will ever be given out

A spokesperson said the EPA does not talk about ongoing lawsuits. Several legal cases have been filed asking for the release of federal funds being held back by different agencies, including the EPA.

Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and one of several senators who wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin asking for answers, said the funding helps schools “invest in transportation that reduces air pollution and provides health benefits to children across the country.” Without this money, school officials may have to make hard financial choices, “and children are going to pay the price,” he said.

The move to electric school buses has been supported by people from both political parties. Many believe switching to electric buses will help fight climate change, improve children’s health, and save school districts money in the future.

Each day, over 25 million students in the U.S. ride old buses that run on diesel fuel. Black, Latino, and lower-income students in cities are more likely to ride these buses.

The exhaust from these older buses exposes students, parents, and school staff to dangerous air pollution like small particles and nitrogen dioxide. These pollutants can cause health problems such as asthma and heart disease. They can also hurt how well students think and learn, according to Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, head of the pediatric lung division at Columbia University Medical Center. She explained that children’s bodies are still growing and are especially at risk.

Supporters of electric buses say they save money Even though electric buses cost two to three times more at first, they can help school districts save money on fuel and repairs, said Katherine Roboff, deputy director of external affairs for the Electric School Bus Initiative at the World Resources Institute. The group estimates that a school district can save about $100,000 over the lifetime of one electric bus.

“That’s really helpful savings that school districts can put back into the classroom,” Roboff said. “And that’s another reason that districts are eager to go electric.”

The money for the buses comes from the Clean School Bus Program, part of President Biden’s infrastructure law, which set aside $5 billion over five years to help replace diesel school buses with electric ones.

The program has had three rounds so far. Nearly $1 billion in rebates was given out in the first round to 400 schools for 2,500 buses. The second round, given as grants and again totaling nearly $1 billion, helped fund more than 2,700 buses in 275 school districts.

Many different school districts — big and small, rural and urban — are affected by the delays.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, the school district in Huntsville, Alabama, and Baltimore County Public Schools are all waiting on almost $26 million to buy 75 electric buses. These districts use private companies for their bus services.

Prince George’s County Public Schools, which serves 132,000 students near Washington, D.C., had planned on $5 million to help buy nine more electric buses, adding to the 21 they already have. When the EPA funding was put on hold, they turned to a grant program in the state of Maryland and are hoping that will cover the cost.

In New Hampshire, the Derry Cooperative School District wasn’t that lucky. The 4,300-student district had counted on $8.1 million from the EPA to pay for 25 electric buses.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Clifton Dancy, the district’s transportation coordinator. “The current administration is turning a blind eye to climate change and environmental practices and catering to carbon fuel industry. I can’t get behind that. It’s going backwards.”