US: 87% of parents support low-emissions school buses, according to PERC

According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), 87% of parents and K-12 educators support their children get to and from school in low-emissions school buses. The survey asked respondents about their awareness and attitudes toward vehicle emissions and alternative fuels like Autogas, and the results illustrate the overwhelming demand for cleaner school buses.

However, a June 2025 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that, while billions in federal funding have been committed to clean energy buses, many of those buses remain delayed in deployment — often due to charging infrastructure and delivery challenges — keeping older, higher-polluting diesel buses on the road longer.

LPG-powered school buses reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 96% compared with diesel and emit near-zero particulate matter (PM) emissions, according to PERC. Both NOx and PM emissions are known triggers for issues like asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Every child deserves a safe, clean, healthy ride to school,” said Joel Stutheit, Senior Manager of Autogas Business Development at PERC. “The way children ride to school today is like how I rode to school – in an aging, dirty diesel bus. Parents will remember that cloud of black smoke from the exhaust pipe, the smell of the diesel, the headaches, and the noise. With propane, all of that is gone, so children arrive safely and ready to learn.”

“I am often asked, ‘what about electric buses?’”, Stutheit added. “While electric buses may not have tailpipe emissions, we need to remember that 65% of the grid is still powered by coal and other fossil fuels — emissions are generated when those buses charge. There is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle. And when you compare the full lifecycle emissions, propane buses hold their own as a clean energy –– and at an affordable cost to replace diesel buses and reduce emissions more quickly.”

Once presented with the facts that propane school buses reduce emissions while saving school districts money, 90% of parents surveyed said they would be at least somewhat likely to support their use.

Source: PERC

Photo: PERC