Needs Assessment for Equitable School Bus Electrification in U.S. School Districts

The Electric School Bus (ESB) Initiative research team surveyed and spoke to school district staff to understand barriers and enablers for electric school bus adoption and how challenges may vary depending on a district’s diversity, income level, and exposure to air pollutants. This paper provides preliminary ideas about the main barriers faced by school districts, what motivates school districts to transition to electric school buses, what types of technical assistance might help school districts move forward, and how school districts are considering equity in their process. The survey size was non-representative and the findings should be taken only as preliminary hypotheses.