Arizona will be getting its share of a nationwide Volkswagen settlement over it’s diesel cars. Gov. Doug Ducey will announce plans to use some of that money to replace more than 280 aging school buses.
Ducey intends to use more than half of the $59 million the state is getting to replace buses that are at least 15 years old and have more than 100,000 miles.
The available dollars for the buses are going largely to school districts where at least 60 percent of students come from families whose income qualify them for free or reduced price lunches.
Buses that are at risk of violating federal air quality standards will also be replaced. Besides school buses, the state will buy other equipment including snow plows and highway sweepers.