school systems feel pinch at pump

Tag : Fuel Pressure System

The Stafford County school system budgeted $1.32 million for fuelin 2007-08 but spent $466,000 more.
That's a 35 percent increase over what the division originallyplanned to pay.
Still, the school system is allocating just $28,000 more for fuelthis year than it did in its last budget cycle.
"We know we're behind going in already," said Wayne Carruthers,assistant superintendent for financial services.
All area school divisions interviewed by The Free Lance-Starunderestimated the cost of fuel for 2007-08. Some localities mademinimal increases in their fuel budgets, gambling that prices wouldgo down in a year when many had to make deep cuts to balance theirspending plans.
"Better times may be two years away," said David Baker, theFredericksburg school system's budget and finance director. "I haveno idea what a larger division is doing right now."
School administrators say they're doing what they can to savemoney. That includes fewer bus stops and rules to limit suchpractices as letting parked buses idle and logging miles withoutstudents aboard.
The Stafford school system is researching alternatives such aspropane-fueled and hybrid buses.
Carruthers said Stafford schools burned 564,000 gallons of fuelover the past year. If it had to buy diesel at this month's goingrate of $4.20 a gallon, the cost would be nearly $2.4 million forthe coming school year. That's about $1.1 million more than thedivision budgeted for fuel in 2008-09.
Stafford, which has a fleet of 304 buses, paid an average of $3 agallon for fuel in 2007-08.
"I'm just praying it will go down," Carruthers said.
Kermit Shaffer, director of transportation for Spotsylvania Countyschools, said the division paid $2.33 a gallon for diesel lastJuly. The price was $4.23 a gallon earlier this month.
The division is in the process of installing navigation devices on316 buses at a cost of up to $825 each. It hopes the devices willhelp make routes more efficient.
The King George County school division budgeted $246,000 for fuellast fiscal year but spent 46 percent--or $112,144--more.
King George laid off a full-time secretary, stopped hiring busdrivers and aides and didn't fill a mechanic position to close thegap, said Ray Newton, the division's supervisor of transportation.
Other divisions slashed budget items and used savings fromtemporarily vacant positions.
King George's plans to save money include eliminating someactivity-bus stops, which means some students will have longerwalks home.
Newton said the bus stops that are eliminated won't be inhigh-traffic areas.
Over the past year, Carruthers said, officials monitored fuel costsweekly and told drivers to fill up when prices dipped. They'll bedoing the same thing this year.
Bob Burch, Fredericksburg schools' director of operations, said thedivision is scrutinizing field trips with fuel costs in mind. Cityschools have a fleet of 35 buses.
"There's so much you can do and so much you can't do," Burch said.