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San Carlos School District to get a new bus

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The San Carlos School District is slated to receive a new bus in the second round of Arizona’s Lower-Emission School Bus Program awards.

In his Jan. 4 statement, Governor Doug Ducey announced 22 school districts and charter schools across Arizona were approved to buy 76 diesel and alternative fuel buses, totaling $8.4 million.

It is the second wave of funding awarded as part of the $38 million plan to provide low-income schools with new school buses.

The San Carlos School District was notified that it was approved for funding under the state’s program.

Ducey said that investing in K-12 education remains a top priority of his administration.

“These new dollars will benefit low-income school districts across Arizona, including many in rural areas, he said in his Jan. 4 statement. And by funding the purchase of new buses, these funds will free up additional resources schools can put toward other important needs.”

In December 2018, Ducey announced that 55 school districts and charter schools across Arizona were approved to buy 142 diesel and alternative fuel buses, totaling $15.9 million.

Among them were the Miami Unified School District and the Young Elementary School District, both in Gila County, which were awarded $110,000 each to buy a new school bus.

Pinal County school districts also slated to receive new buses included the Casa Grande Elementary District and Mary C. O’Brien Accommodation District, both in Casa Grande, and the Eloy Elementary School District.

The Mary C. O’Brien and Eloy Elementary districts received $110,000 to buy one new school bus each, while Casa Grande Elementary got $660,000 to buy six buses.

In June 2018, Ducey had announced a $38 million plan to buy an estimated 280 school buses using settlement funds from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, the statement said.

The state’s Lower-Emissions School Bus Program gives money to 60-percent free and reduced lunch school districts and charter schools, as well as the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, to replace aging and high-mileage school buses.

Diesel school buses proposed for replacement must be owned by the school system, be at least 15 years old and have more than 100,000 miles.

As of Dec. 6, 2018, the state had received 118 applications from school districts and charter schools, resulting in requests for 362 buses at a total cost of $40.4 million.

Representing about 47-percent of total applications submitted, 55 completed and verified applications totaling $15.9 million were approved, the statement said.

In January 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Volkswagen for Clean Air Act violations, after it had modified its vehicles to cheat emissions tests.

The resulting settlement agreement required Volkswagen to spend $10 billion to either buy back the vehicles or compensate the vehicle owners, as well as $4.7 billion to offset pollution from the modified cars, the statement said.

The State of Arizona will receive $57 million over the next two years.

The plan also includes money for other mission critical projects, such as supporting wildland fire crews and equipment for the Arizona Department of Transportation.

For previous coverage, see the Dec. 18, 2018 edition of the Arizona Silver Belt.