School bus emissions, student health and academic performance

Diesel emissions from school buses expose children to high levels of air pollution; retrofitting bus engines can substantially reduce this exposure. Using variation from 2656 retrofits across Georgia, we estimate effects of emissions reductions on district-level health and academic achievement. We d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economics of education review 2019-06, Vol.70, p.109-126
Main Authors: Austin, Wes, Heutel, Garth, Kreisman, Daniel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Diesel retrofit
Health
Pollution
School bus
Test scores
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Summary:Diesel emissions from school buses expose children to high levels of air pollution; retrofitting bus engines can substantially reduce this exposure. Using variation from 2656 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 experience significant test score gains in English and smaller gains in math. Our results suggest that engine retrofits can have meaningful and cost-effective impacts on health and cognitive functioning.
ISSN:0272-7757
1873-7382
DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.03.002