The last few years have been rocky for the Alternative Fuel Tax Credits introduced during the Obama administration. These tax credits were intended to spur the adoption of alternative vehicle fuel sources, including alternative school bus fuels, as well as also encouraging the construction of alt-fuel refill stations.  

The credits were originally scheduled to end in 2017 but received short-term extensions to keep them going. This has happened several times since and, fortunately, another extension recently passed and was signed into law. So, the credits will now remain active until Aug 11, 2020, giving school districts and other operations more time to submit claims from 2018-19.

 An electric school bus is one of those ideas that often seems to sound better on paper than it is in practice. Everyone knows that fossil fuels won't last forever, and they’re bad for the environment. But the costs of moving to electric, and the significant drawbacks of the technology, cause a lot of districts to stick to what they know. Some have even opined that it's just not possible to create an all-electric bus with sufficient range and power to compete with traditional engine technologies.

However, that may soon change. Two major manufacturers, IC Bus and Daimler have recently announced their intention to create all-electric school buses which are fully capable of performing the job. These buses were announced November 2017, and are currently targeted for 2019 release.

School districts across North America are switching to alternative fuel sources for their bus fleets, and for good reason. Propane helps to reduce the costs of school bus transportation while also helping to reduce emissions.

Use of alternative-fuel school buses continues to expand around the country, and represents a promising shift away from unsustainable (and polluting) oil-based fuels. Today's news comes out of North Kansas City School District (NKCSD), in Missouri, which has recently made an unprecedented purchase of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses.

Someone call Hank Hill: Propane could be one of the solutions your school district is looking for in lowering school bus transportation costs!

This summer, School Transportation News, along with the Propane Education & Research Council, presented the first annual Leadership with Propane Autogas Awards to three seperate school districts. These school districts were honored for adopting alternative-fuel buses and planning for future improvements to their school bus fleets. Propane is one of the alternative fuel sources for school buses that is hailed for its cost-saving and environmental benefits. It is also considered safer for students with allergies or respiratory issues.

Though school buses have not always been known for their fuel efficiency, many school districts across the U.S. and Canada have been making the switch to alternative fuel sources and environmentally friendly transportation management system options. This shift not only benefits the environment, it’s providing cost-saving perks to districts.

Alternative fuel sources are heralded as a healthier substitute for all children, especially those with health concerns, such as asthma. For children with special needs, who might take longer to get on and off a vehicle, the risk of breathing in air contaminated by diesel fuel produced by an idling bus engine is intensified.