NDEE to Provide Rebates for Replacement of 62 School Buses
News Release
NDEE to Provide Rebates for Replacement of 62 School Buses
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Director Jim Macy announced the state is awarding over $2.6 million in rebates to schools across Nebraska to aid in the replacement of older diesel school buses. The funded projects include 60 public school districts, one private school, and one bus contractor serving a public school district. Each project will replace one older diesel bus with a new bus with much lower emissions. The department initially planned to fund 32 rebates, but because of the high demand, all 62 applicants will receive funding.
“The department received a large number of applications from schools across the state,” Macy said. “The funds available for this program give us the opportunity to provide financial assistance to schools that will help reduce harmful diesel emissions.”
These rebates will be funded from Nebraska’s share of the Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Mitigation Trust for State Beneficiaries, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (VW State Trust). Trust funds may be used to replace diesel vehicles and engines in order to reduce emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx), which may have direct adverse health effects as well as contributing to the formation of harmful ozone. This year’s projects are expected to reduce NOx emissions by over 14 tons. Ten school districts are planning to replace diesel buses with propane-fueled buses that meet California NOx emissions standards that are much stricter than the current federal standard.
Funding for these projects will include the remaining portion of the VW funds that the department previously earmarked for school bus rebates, plus $1.354 million from the funds that had been designated for “Eligible Actions Based on Demand.”
The department is currently wrapping up 40 projects from the 2018 School Bus Rebate Program. Over this two-year period, approximately $4.36 million in VW State Trust funds will be spent to replace 102 diesel school buses, reducing harmful NOx emissions by nearly 28 tons. Below is a list of the 2019 School Bus Rebate recipients. Also attached is a map showing the locations of the 2018 and 2019 recipients.
| Recipient | City | Rebate | New Bus Fuel |
| Anselmo-Merna Public School | Merna | $41,913 | Diesel |
| Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools | Bancroft | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Banner County School | Harrisburg | $40,508 | Diesel |
| Bayard Public Schools | Bayard | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Bellevue Public Schools | Bellevue | $42,000 | Propane |
| Bertrand Public Schools | Bertrand | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Blair Community Schools | Blair | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Brady Public Schools | Brady | $40,350 | Diesel |
| Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport | $50,232 | Propane |
| Cedar Catholic High School | Hartington | $22,475 | Diesel |
| Centennial Public School | Utica | $57,000 | Propane |
| Centura Public Schools | Cairo | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Chambers Public Schools | Chambers | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Chase County Schools | Imperial | $40,753 | Diesel |
| Clarkson Public Schools | Clarkson | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Cozad Community Schools | Cozad | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Elba Public Schools | Elba | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Elkhorn Valley Schools | Tilden | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Elm Creek Public Schools | Elm Creek | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Friend Public Schools | Friend | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Fullerton Public Schools | Fullerton | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Gretna Public Schools | Gretna | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Hastings Public Schools | Hastings | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Hemingford Public Schools | Hemingford | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Hershey Public Schools | Hershey | $42,000 | Diesel |
| High Plains Community Schools | Polk | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Humphrey Public Schools | Humphrey | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Johnson County Central Public School | Tecumseh | $41,192 | Diesel |
| Johnson-Brock Public Schools | Johnson | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Kearney Public Schools | Kearney | $57,000 | Propane |
| Kenesaw Public Schools | Kenesaw | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Lexington Public Schools | Lexington | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Maxwell Public Schools | Maxwell | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Maywood Public Schools | Maywood | $57,000 | Propane |
| McCool Junction Public Schools | McCool Junction | $57,000 | Propane |
| Meridian Public Schools | Daykin | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Midstates School Bus / Thayer Central | Wayne | $16,375 | Diesel |
| Minden Public Schools | Minden | $53,579 | Propane |
| Morrill Public Schools | Morrill | $39,750 | Diesel |
| North Bend Central Public Schools | North Bend | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Ogallala Public Schools | Ogallala | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Ord Public Schools | Ord | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Overton Public Schools | Overton | $57,000 | Propane |
| Palmyra Schools | Palmyra | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Paxton Consolidated Schools | Paxton | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Pleasanton PS | Pleasanton | $52,793 | Propane |
| Ralston Public Schools | Ralston | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Randolph Public Schools | Randolph | $54,839 | Propane |
| Ravenna Public Schools | Ravenna | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Raymond Central Public Schools | Raymond | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Seward School District | Seward | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Shelby-Rising City Public Schools | Shelby | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Shickley Public Schools | Schickley | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Silver Lake Public Schools | Roseland | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Southern Public Schools | Wymore | $42,000 | Diesel |
| St Paul Public School | St Paul | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Stapleton Public Schools | Stapleton | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Tri County Public Schools | Dewitt | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Twin River Public Schools | Genoa | $57,000 | Propane |
| Wahoo Public Schools | Wahoo | $42,000 | Diesel |
| York Public Schools | York | $42,000 | Diesel |
| Yutan Public Schools | Yutan | $42,000 | Diesel |
| TOTAL | $2,641,981 | ||