Soaring diesel prices are putting mounting pressure on school districts and school bus contractors responsible for transporting millions of students across the country each day. Officials in multiple states have warned that the rising cost of fuel could force districts to make cuts elsewhere in their budgets, while one bus contractor says she may be forced to stop operating. Eighty-seven percent of the country’s 480,000 school buses run on diesel, meaning school districts are heavily impacted by rising costs.
More than 25 million children rely on school buses across the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Diesel prices have reached an all-time high, driven largely by the war with Iran, which has disrupted global oil supplies. Diesel fuel is currently averaging around $6.52 a gallon nationally, up from around $5.60 a month ago, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
That is substantially higher than the average of roughly $3.70 a year ago. Trump has said that oil prices may not fall until after the November midterm elections. Schools have already been under pressure from rising diesel prices, even before the recent spike.
A May survey by organizations representing school superintendents and school transportation officials found that 56 percent of districts surveyed said they were already running over their budget for diesel. Around 40 percent said they had consolidated bus routes to manage costs, 25 percent said they had reduced the number of routes, and 20 percent had limited nonessential trips such as field trips. In Rutherford County, Tennessee, bus contractor Sandra Davis said rising fuel costs could force her to stop operating, as steep expenses have left her living paycheck to paycheck.
Davis, who owns and operates buses for Rutherford County Public Schools along with her husband, told WSMV that she recently paid $1,980 to fuel five buses. She said she is seeking additional funding from the school board to help offset the rising costs. Meanwhile, efforts to provide some relief at the state level have so far fallen short.
A proposal for temporary gas tax relief introduced by state lawmakers in March failed to pass during the state's last legislative session. Cherry Creek Schools in Colorado, which operates more than 300 buses serving about 24,000 students, is also grappling with rising fuel costs. Mark Ingram, the district's director of transportation, told CBS News that they are now forecast to spend between $ 2 and $ 2.3 million on fuel this year, while they had budgeted for $1.5 million.
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