Infrastructure as Environmental Health Policy: Lessons from the Clean School Bus Program’s Challenges and Innovations
Uchenna Osia,
Bethany B. Cutts (),
Kristi Pullen Fedinick and
Kofi Boone
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Uchenna Osia: Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Bethany B. Cutts: Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Kristi Pullen Fedinick: Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Kofi Boone: Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-15
Abstract:
This study evaluates the 2022 rollout of the Clean School Bus Rebate Program (CSBRP) to understand how eligibility rules and data practices shape funding distribution across communities with varying needs. We ask whether more accurate maps can improve environmental funding outcomes or whether challenges stem from how agencies define and apply eligibility criteria. Using logistic regression and dasymetric mapping, we find that prioritization criteria helped direct funds to underserved areas, but reliance on school district boundaries introduced inconsistencies that affected program reach. Including charter schools as independent applicants increased competition and sometimes diverted funds from larger public systems serving more. Our geospatial analysis shows that while refined mapping approaches improve resource targeting and reduce goal-outcome mismatches, agency discretion and administrative rules remain key factors in ensuring equitable outcomes.
Keywords: environmental investment; dasymetric mapping; data-driven policy; Clean School Bus Program; federal grant programs; public funding; environmental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:8:p:1232-:d:1719503
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