Transportation staff warns fuel costs are straining activity‑bus budget; board to send options to finance committee

District transportation staff reported that increased activity‑bus miles and recent fuel prices are straining the locally funded activity‑bus budget and are producing operational impacts.

Mr. Cox, the transportation staff speaker, told the board that activity buses are completely locally funded while yellow‑bus fuel for regular routes draws on state dollars. He said staff have parked some buses to reduce mileage and reported an operational reduction of roughly 1,000 gallons of fuel used per day compared with earlier months, adding that fuel was about $4 per gallon at the time of the meeting. "We are spending about a thousand gallons of fuel a day and it's $4 a gallon right now," Mr. Cox said.

Board members suggested possible responses including charging schools for travel (which would come from school fund balances), routing changes, and researching alternative fuels. One board member described a bus garage in Charleston that adopted propane‑powered buses and reported fuel savings; Mr. Cox said propane could be an option but would require changes to the district's refueling infrastructure or on‑site fueling tanks and other logistical work.

The chair proposed sending the matter to the finance committee so the committee can prepare projections for next year and recommend whether to implement a surcharge or other changes. Board members agreed to delay any operational changes this school year and asked staff to provide a projection of likely overages for next year.

Why it matters: rising fuel costs can shift the burden of extracurricular and field‑trip transportation onto school budgets or families; the board asked for a financial analysis before deciding whether to charge schools or pursue infrastructure changes.

Provenance: This article is based on the transportation report and follow‑up questions (topicintro SEG 546, topfinish SEG 780).