SAN ANTONIO – For school districts, higher fuel prices can mean a much bigger bill than what drivers see when they fill up their personal vehicles. School buses travel thousands of miles each day, and transportation departments must budget accordingly to get students to and from school, athletic events, field trips, and other activities.
As of now, diesel is selling for approximately $5.72 per gallon in Texas, a significant increase from last year’s $3.21 per gallon, according to AAA. This sharp rise in fuel prices has prompted school districts to reevaluate their transportation budgets.
Bill Harrison, the Executive Director for North East Independent School District (NEISD), has noted the direct impact on their budget. “We’re paying about $2.10 more a gallon than we were about a year ago,” he reported. The district allocated $1.6 million for fuel this school year but has already spent around $1 million just three months into the term.
If current diesel prices persist, Harrison indicated that the district may face challenging choices regarding its transportation operations. “There will be some serious discussions moving forward if the price maintains where it’s at and how do we handle that,” he said.
NISD Locks in Its Fuel Price
Meanwhile, Northside Independent School District (NISD) is also grappling with rising fuel costs but employs a different strategy to manage these fluctuations. NISD participates in the Texas Association of School Boards Fuel Co-op, which allows districts to lock in fuel rates for the year.
“You have districts from all over the state of Texas joining the Fuel Co-op. The more members that participate, the lower the gas prices can be for everyone involved,” explained NISD Director of Transportation, Tesilia Soliz. While this locked-in rate provides some certainty, it is still considerably higher than last year’s price. Last year, NISD paid about $3.31 per gallon for diesel, whereas this year’s locked-in rate stands at $4.46 per gallon.
The increase is projected to add nearly $1 million to the district’s fuel budget. NISD anticipates using approximately 550,000 gallons of fuel in the upcoming fiscal year, resulting in an estimated fuel cost of around $2.4 million, reflecting a staggering 47% increase from the previous year.
Finding Ways to Save
Despite these financial challenges, cutting bus services is not a straightforward solution. “We really haven’t been able to make any drastic changes into the operations itself,” Soliz commented. “It’s a necessity. It has to happen.”
Both NEISD and NISD are taking measures to save on fuel costs. For instance, NEISD has implemented a three-minute idling policy, while NISD recommends that drivers turn off buses if they expect to wait longer than 10 minutes, thereby reducing unnecessary fuel consumption.
Additionally, NEISD is reviewing its bus routes to identify opportunities for reducing mileage without compromising the transportation needs of students. Harrison emphasized the importance of maintaining service, stating, “We’ve got to make sure we get every kid to school. So we still need every bus.”
The fluctuations at the pump have far-reaching implications beyond individual drivers. They can significantly influence how school districts plan and budget for the transportation needs of thousands of students now and in the future. Furthermore, both NEISD and NISD operate under fixed-rate contracts, with the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) potentially experiencing delays in diesel deliveries.
While our news team sought an interview with SAISD several times, we have yet to receive a response since our initial inquiry in September.
