Clean Air for our School Children - Electric School Buses in our Future!

By Connie Schmidt

Janice Guider of the Executive Committee of the River Prairie Group has led the charge for advocacy of replacing our dirty aging diesel school bus fleets with modern clean electric buses. She is working with the Environmental Law and Policy Center as well as a myriad of other Electric Vehicle (EV) fans who are helping to bring new technology to the suburban streets of DuPage.

Janice states: “…We must intentionally discover ways to link arms to protect our children from diseases interfering with their learning ability. While causes for poor academic results are multifactorial, we seek out multi-remedy opportunities, and one remedy that we can't ignore is improving air quality.

Exposure to airborne pollutants, particularly ozone and PM2.5 (particulate matter), is undermining the education of our children because they lead to a wide range of noncommunicable diseases. Asthma arguably tops the list but comes with significant complications: insomnia, fatigue, physical inactivity, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and, unavoidably, adverse effects of the medicine (usually steroids) to treat the disease. In most instances, that adversity is agitation that triggers disruptive behaviors in the classroom.”

In every meeting, Janice can be heard speaking up for the most fragile in our school systems because their health is the most easily compromised from these dirty behemoths. She has crafted relationships with elected officials, the regional superintendent’s office of education, bus manufacturers, and schools in Illinois that have already adopted this new technology. 

RPG has assisted with several meetings held virtually where the superintendents of DuPage have been invited to learn of funding for the electric bus transition. Currently there are both federal funds and statewide funds available for our districts to apply for. At least one district in DuPage is on board and has applied for multiple grants. Parents and teacher organizations should contact their school boards and district leaders to take advantage of these opportunities.

If you want to be more active with the Electric School Bus campaign, contact Connie Schmidt at cschmidt527@gmail.com or 630 234 3029.  Together we can do more!