Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the Trump administration leaves administrators in limbo.

Spending deals approved by Congress in the Biden era committed more than $5 billion to help schools with these big-ticket purchases so they can save on transportation costs and make bus routes less polluted. But President Donald Trump’s desire to claw back such funds has created uncertainty.

Robert Lukens, superintendent of Harvey Public Schools, said they’ll soon receive a clean bus through the program, but there’s no assurances three others will be covered.

“When you lose those federal funds,” he said, “it makes it difficult for districts and taxpayers to justify that type of cost.”

Lukens said the school district faces a deadline of whether to pursue the additional buses for its fleet. The average cost for a zero-emissions bus is $350,000.

An assistance group reports similar dilemmas around the United States, with districts being locked out of a funding portal. An Environmental Protection Agency memo circulated this week has ordered agency money to flow again, but it isn’t clear yet which programs will resume.

Lukens also has a background in agriculture and said he’s seen how technology has brought similar efficiencies to big farm equipment. He suggested it’s unfortunate the Harvey school district might not be able to see the full benefits of non-diesel buses.

“Based on other districts that I’ve talked to before we applied for this, you’re seeing a lot of drop in emissions,” he said, “and they’ve seen almost $30 to $40 a day savings in fuel.”

Advocates have said the federal funding confusion also hurts bus manufacturers. In some states, funds for cleaner bus fleets have been awarded by legislatures, along with utilities, but federal grants still make up the biggest share. Since his return to the White House, Trump has emphasized production of fossil fuels and scaling back programs aligned with clean energy.