School Bus Emissions, Student Health, and Academic Performance

Wes Austin, Garth Heutel and Daniel Kreisman

No 25641, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Diesel emissions from school buses expose children to high levels of air pollution; retrofitting bus engines can substantially reduce this exposure. Using variation from 2,656 retrofits across Georgia, we estimate effects of emissions reductions on district-level health and academic achievement. We demonstrate positive effects on respiratory health, measured by a statewide test of aerobic capacity. Placebo tests on body mass index show no impact. We also find that retrofitting districts see significant test score gains in English and smaller gains in math. Results suggest that engine retrofits can have meaningful and cost-effective impacts on health and cognitive functioning.

JEL-codes: I18 I20 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env, nep-hea, nep-tre and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

Published as Wes Austin & Garth Heutel & Daniel Kreisman, 2019. "School Bus Emissions, Student Health and Academic Performance," Economics of Education Review, .

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