The Jefferson Parish School Board voted Wednesday to turn down a $7.1 million federal grant that would have helped cover the cost to replace some of the district’s school buses with electric vehicles after a contentious debate and some community opposition.

The grant, which the district applied for in 2024 through the federal Clean School Bus Program, would have allowed it to replace 25 of its diesel-powered buses with zero-emission, battery-operated buses. The district would have had to contribute $3.4 million of its own funds to access the grant, which requires school systems to foot 30% of the bill.

Board members voted 6-3 on Wednesday not to pay the $3.4 million, effectively rejecting the federal grant. Some board members said the cost would be too burdensome, despite projections b

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