The Empire Center has announced that New York’s transition to electric school buses is encountering financial hurdles despite federal assistance, with projected costs expected to reach $9 billion by 2035. This announcement was made on the social media platform X.
According to APNews, New York State law mandates that all new school bus purchases after 2027 must be zero-emission, with a deadline of July 1, 2035, for all school buses in use to be electric. This makes New York the first state with such a comprehensive mandate. However, as of late 2024, New York City reported that only 43 out of approximately 10,000 school buses were electric. This underscores a significant gap between policy targets and actual implementation and highlights the complex challenges facing the rapid electrification of school transportation fleets in major urban centers.
Politico reported that on June 12, 2025, President Donald Trump revoked California’s ability to enforce separate zero-emission vehicle mandates by signing Congressional Review Act resolutions. The administration cited the need for uniform national vehicle standards and regulatory certainty for manufacturers. Trump argued that allowing a single state to dictate nationwide automotive policy undermined federal authority and imposed economic burdens on automakers and consumers across the country. This policy shift restored a single federal emissions standard, simplifying compliance, lowering vehicle costs, and protecting jobs in the automotive industry.
On May 20, 2025, Scotia-Glenville Central School District reported that voters defeated the proposed $67,276,184 school budget. With 1,274 “yes” votes (55%) and 1,052 “no” votes, it fell short of the required 60% supermajority. This vote also resulted in the rejection of a $2.6 million proposition for electric vehicle infrastructure improvements intended to support new electric school buses; there were 1,160 votes against and 1,025 in favor. Following these results, the Board of Education scheduled a special meeting to discuss adopting a contingency budget that would limit district spending and reduce planned capital projects.
The Empire Center for Public Policy is an independent think tank based in Albany, New York. It focuses on public policy analysis and advocacy with a mission to make New York a better place through reforms rooted in free-market principles and effective government accountability.
