Education and Outreach

Work is already under way with Ohio’s Adopt-A-School Bus Program, and thanks to MORPC’s Mid Ohio Diesel Project, word is getting out about the stance central Ohio needs to take on improving the air quality in our region.

With the support of The Columbus Foundation, the OEC created the Franklin County Diesel School Bus Working Group. Comprised of eight central Ohio school districts (Bexley, Canal Winchester, Columbus, Franklin County MR/DD, Gahanna-Jefferson, New Albany-Plains, Westerville and Worthington) the Working Group formulates strategies to address the impacts of diesel exhaust on students and the community. By teaming with school fleet managers, the OEC finds effective and affordable solutions to cleaning up old school buses.

These strategies are overlapped with the Adopt-A-School Bus Program’s agenda. Understanding what methods and tactics work the best help create a smooth transition to funding more school bus fleets.

The program will improve local air quality (parts of Ohio are currently below Federal standards), assist cash-strapped schools and benefit public health—primarily school children who are exposed to elevated levels of diesel particulate pollution. The ultimate goal is to help school districts improve their bus fleets, making them not only the safest mode of transportation, but the healthiest.