“This is a win however you look at it,” Heinrichs said. “Electric vehicles just make sense given our limited geographic size of the district and the patterns of use for our vehicles.”

But schools aren’t the only group clearing the way for cleaner buses on roads.

The Washington State Department of Ecology will invest $13.3 million to help several local transit agencies purchase dozens of zero emission, battery-powered electric buses. This will more than double the number of electric buses currently on Washington roads. The $13 million comes from the money Volkswagen paid the state because of a recent settlement. Transit agencies can also use the funding to pay for charging stations.

The buses will eliminate 68,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 70 tons over the lifetime of the vehicles.