Post by momto4 on Apr 14, 2011 8:24:38 GMT -5
beaconnews.suntimes.com/4796289-417/rising-costs-of-busing-kids-puts-schools-in-a-bind.html
Just as motorists are feeling anxious over the prices at the pumps, school districts which transport thousands of kids each day are fearful of the impact rising gas prices will have on their transportation budgets.
“It’s very scary not knowing how high the prices will go as we begin to budget for the following fiscal year,” said Julie-Ann Fuchs, assistant superintendent for business for the Kaneland School District.
The area’s school systems combined have hundreds of buses that run thousands of miles each year. School officials are saying unexpected transportation budget overruns will have to be made up in other areas.
And the spike in fuel prices practically falls on the heels of Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to further cut state reimbursements to school districts.
Fuchs said Tuesday the Kaneland district is not under contract with a gas supplier, but it plans for the first time to bid fuel for its fleet of 55 buses.
“We have typically used the same vendor because it has a tank on the (district) property. We are going to bid the fuel — the board has requested we do that,” Fuchs said.
Because of overall budget restraints, Kaneland eliminated its after-school practice bus and held off on purchasing a second new bus this year.
Fuchs said the district will have to look to other areas to make up for the additional fuel costs.
State cuts support
School districts are as affected as motorists, said Mike Chapin, community relations director for the West Aurora School District.
The district has a fleet of 55 buses that travel approximately 500,000 miles a year.
“We are running about $1 per gallon more than anticipated,” Chapin said.
He said West Aurora orders 7,000 to 8,000 gallons of fuel at a time and was paying $3.41 a gallon prior to spring break. Chapin said the district budgeted $325,000 for fuel this year and could incur a shortfall of $35,000 to $50,000 before the end of the school year.
Between the actual reduction in state busing payments this year and Gov. Quinn’s proposed further reductions for next year, the West Aurora School District could realize a $1 million cut in state payments for busing in the next fiscal year beginning July 1, Chapin said.
A little less idling
“It’s something we have to deal with,” Jacqui Parisi, business manager for the Yorkville School District, said of the rising costs of its busing program.
“We still have to get kids to and from school. (The additional cost) is something we will have to absorb — we cannot change our bus routes mid-stream.”
Parisi said on the positive side, it is easier to operate the buses now that warmer weather has arrived, unlike the cold winter months when buses have to idle before they start the runs.
Yorkville has a contract for its buses, but fuel is purchased as needed. Parisi said they have an account with local fuel suppliers that provide a discount to the district.
“We may look next year into ways to save money, possibly by combining routes that have low capacity,” Parisi said. “I anticipated something might happen with fuel pricing and adjusted the budget. We’ll be OK.”
Just as motorists are feeling anxious over the prices at the pumps, school districts which transport thousands of kids each day are fearful of the impact rising gas prices will have on their transportation budgets.
“It’s very scary not knowing how high the prices will go as we begin to budget for the following fiscal year,” said Julie-Ann Fuchs, assistant superintendent for business for the Kaneland School District.
The area’s school systems combined have hundreds of buses that run thousands of miles each year. School officials are saying unexpected transportation budget overruns will have to be made up in other areas.
And the spike in fuel prices practically falls on the heels of Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to further cut state reimbursements to school districts.
Fuchs said Tuesday the Kaneland district is not under contract with a gas supplier, but it plans for the first time to bid fuel for its fleet of 55 buses.
“We have typically used the same vendor because it has a tank on the (district) property. We are going to bid the fuel — the board has requested we do that,” Fuchs said.
Because of overall budget restraints, Kaneland eliminated its after-school practice bus and held off on purchasing a second new bus this year.
Fuchs said the district will have to look to other areas to make up for the additional fuel costs.
State cuts support
School districts are as affected as motorists, said Mike Chapin, community relations director for the West Aurora School District.
The district has a fleet of 55 buses that travel approximately 500,000 miles a year.
“We are running about $1 per gallon more than anticipated,” Chapin said.
He said West Aurora orders 7,000 to 8,000 gallons of fuel at a time and was paying $3.41 a gallon prior to spring break. Chapin said the district budgeted $325,000 for fuel this year and could incur a shortfall of $35,000 to $50,000 before the end of the school year.
Between the actual reduction in state busing payments this year and Gov. Quinn’s proposed further reductions for next year, the West Aurora School District could realize a $1 million cut in state payments for busing in the next fiscal year beginning July 1, Chapin said.
A little less idling
“It’s something we have to deal with,” Jacqui Parisi, business manager for the Yorkville School District, said of the rising costs of its busing program.
“We still have to get kids to and from school. (The additional cost) is something we will have to absorb — we cannot change our bus routes mid-stream.”
Parisi said on the positive side, it is easier to operate the buses now that warmer weather has arrived, unlike the cold winter months when buses have to idle before they start the runs.
Yorkville has a contract for its buses, but fuel is purchased as needed. Parisi said they have an account with local fuel suppliers that provide a discount to the district.
“We may look next year into ways to save money, possibly by combining routes that have low capacity,” Parisi said. “I anticipated something might happen with fuel pricing and adjusted the budget. We’ll be OK.”
