The Clean Buses for Kids Program provides funds to school districts and other eligible public entities to purchase and install emission control equipment on diesel school buses. The program provides funding to offset the cost of diesel particulate filters, as well as ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) required by the filters.

American children spend three billion hours on school buses - 99% of which are diesel - each year. By retrofitting diesel school buses with emissions control equipment we can reduce children's exposure to potentially harmful particulates present in diesel engine exhaust.

The Clean Buses for Kids Program solicited interest in the funding opportunity in the fall of 2004. Interested entities were required to submit Expression of Interest forms in November 2004. All eligible entities were rank ordered using a lottery, and more than 62 school districts were invited to apply for funding in December 2004. Since December, several more school districts have been invited to apply off the waiting list.

Thus far, 60 school districts throughout the United States have completed filter installations on more than 2,100 buses. Several remaining districts will complete filter installations in 2008.