Do Electric School Buses Have an Impact in the Classroom?

Policy experts have studied the many social determinants of health for years. Most researchers agree that a person’s health is dependent on his or her social and physical environment. Many studies have examined how repeated exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing asthma and pneumonia. School buses, which about 25 million children in the United States ride to school every morning, are a major source of this pollution. A recently published study suggests that these buses are negatively impacting not only students’ health but also their academic achievement.

In this 2019 study, policy researchers at Georgia State University examine the link between school bus diesel emissions and student outcomes. Some school districts in Georgia have retrofitted some or all of their school buses to dramatically reduce diesel emissions. The researchers collect information about when and where these retrofitting programs were implemented and then examine this data alongside measures of academic achievement...