Wayland Union Schools has added three new more fuel efficient buses to try to improve air quality.

The district last year applied for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) VW State Mitigation 2020 grant and was awarded $68,833.25 toward the purchase of three new International diesel buses.

The grant goals are to reduce the number of older, highly polluting diesel buses on the road. Two 2009 International diesel buses will be disabled and sold for scrap and one 2009 International diesel bus will be disabled and donated to the City of Wayland Fire Department for transportation fire drills.

The EGLE VW State Mitigation 2020 grant allowed WUS to purchase an additional bus in the 2020-2021 fiscal year that would not typically happen. In general WUS budgets for two new buses each year from Casino revenue sharing funds, the grant is 75% of the cost of an additional new bus.

The new buses have increased seating capacity at 77 students and one includes under carriage storage for large equipment or instruments.