School Bus Purchase Program
This program provides subsidy to school administrative units (SAUs) to offset the partial cost of new school buses used to transport students to and from home, school, and school events. It is a resource to help SAUs purchase new buses, retire end-of-life buses, and respond to emergency and special bus needs.
- Passenger Vans — 7 years of useful life and 100,000 miles accumulated (replace van with bus).
- Type C School Buses — 10 years of useful life and 125,000 miles accumulated.
- Type D School Buses — 14 years of useful life and 245,000 miles accumulated.
- Electric School Bus — TBD.
- Application Window — Applications open November 1 and close November 25 annually.
Transportation Safety Conferences
Southern, central, mid-coast, western, downeast, and northern conferences deliver one day of classroom and hands-on learning with regional driving competitions for bus drivers and transportation directors. Regional conferences occur annually in April and June.
View Conference InformationThis central Maine conference provides four days of national and state experts teaching in the classroom, computer lab, and on the driving course. Topics include regulations, operations, human development, special needs transport, leadership, and the latest transportation technology. Regional driving skills competition winners compete for best school bus driver in the state. Open to all transportation staff, business managers, and superintendents. Occurs annually in July.
View Conference InformationZero-Emission & Low-Emission Bus Programs
- US EPA Clean School Bus Program — $5 billion over FY2022–2026 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace existing buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. School entities apply directly. Online Rebate Application information available.
- US EPA Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) — Funds grants and rebates that protect human health and improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines.
- US EPA Clean School Bus Initiative — A national program designed to help communities reduce emissions from older diesel school buses.
- Maine Clean School Bus Program — State program to help Maine school entities purchase electric school buses.
- Maine Clean Diesel Program — A Maine DEP statewide program to reduce children's exposure to air pollution from diesel school buses.
- Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Settlement — Maine VW settlement funds that must be used to offset existing NOx emissions, available to school entities for bus replacement.
Veterans in School Transportation Program
The Veterans in School Transportation Program is a state initiative that began in 2017 to help military veterans transition from serving their country to serving and protecting local communities and students by joining local school transportation teams. The program also helps local school districts hire school bus drivers, mechanics, operations technicians, and transportation directors who have fleet experience.