Education Law

Districts feel pain at the pump

Gas prices continue to climb, and, as always, we wonder how these rising prices will affect school districts. ABC Newsreports that as gas exceeds $4 a gallon, it looks like many schools are expecting big changes in their communities this coming fall.

Fueling school buses is a main concern for districts, where a bus can average 6.1 miles per gallon. The school board in Montgomery County, Maryland, shares in the struggle:

"When we budgeted for the 2009 school year the price of fuel was $2.75," Chris Cram, the public information officer for the Montgomery Country School Board, told ABCNEWS.com. "Now it's much, much higher."

"We'll begin the school year with a fuel budget deficit of $5.362 million," said Cram, who added that the suburban D.C. county has the 13th largest bus fleet in the nation, transporting 96,000 students daily. "It's a huge problem."

As fuel prices remain high, districts are faced with tough decisions as they decide which students will receive a free ride to school and which students will need to walk or find an alternate form of transportation. Daily bus routes are not the only thing affected either; other states' athletic teams have cut back on game schedules and virtual fieldtrips are taking the place of classroom outings.

The Washington Post reported here, the Montgomery County school board's recent approval to change its transportation policy, where officials now have the emergency powers to extend walking distances if high diesel prices leave the districts in financial distress. BoardBuzz is waiting to see how other school boards across the country will respond. Does your school district have tips or suggestions? Let BoardBuzz know.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 24, 2008 (boomark / email).