Arizona could use lawsuit settlement to purchase hundreds of school buses

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey could use funds from a recent Environmental Protection Agency settlement to help purchase new school buses.

Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for the governor’s office, said funds from the $59 million settlement could go toward the purchase of “several hundred” new school buses that would especially benefit rural districts.

The spokesman said the governor’s office is “taking steps” toward figuring out how to dole out the money.

“One area where we know there is a real need is school buses,” said Scarpinato. “We know that a lot of school buses are reaching the end of their life – that some need improvement, that some need replaced especially in our rural districts.”

The state of Arizona will get money to put toward clean air initiatives after Volkswagen pleaded guilty to three criminal counts for its vehicles that cheated federal emissions tests. The company was forced to pay out nearly $15 billion total.

The last of a three-part settlement was approved by the federal court system in April.

The money is expected to be made available in July 2018, the start of the 2018-19 budget year.

Rural districts would benefit, Scarpinato said, since drivers travel long distances to their destination.

The unexpected funding source could free up dollars for districts to give teacher raises and to reduce class sizes within overcrowded districts.

Those districts who were already looking to purchase school buses could use that money to instead fund projects such as building expansion and new heating, ventilation and cooling systems.

KTAR News’ Kathy Cline contributed to this report.

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