Fuel Costs Over Budget?

By now, you’ve likely seen the numbers from ASBO, AASA and NAPT’s recent transportation survey; they’re pretty hard to ignore. More than half of U.S. districts are running over budget on fuel this school year, and the ripple effects are concerning. No matter the size of your district, this is a pain that nearly every district’s transportation department is feeling.

In the survey, two-thirds of district leaders noted that while school transportation is compulsory, their state does not provide a responsive pot of funds to get the job done. And, the general assumption is that pricing for conventional fuels will remain untenably high going into the next school year. So, the math on the long-term viability of diesel really isn’t adding up.

While many leaders have been quietly managing mid-year budget shake-ups via rerouted buses, canceled educational programming and deferred bus maintenance, these are short-term fixes rather than enduring solutions.

That’s why the conversation about fuel diversification deserves a closer look. Of course, fuel diversification can’t solve all transportation funding problems, but it can certainly be a helpful tool in protecting the programs and operations school districts and their communities depend on.

Creating a diverse school transportation fleet can look any number of ways, including a mix of conventional and alternative fuels or a mix of only alternative fuels. What we do know is that the 1,100 school districts operating propane school buses have experienced budget stability this school year because propane autogas is an affordable and domestically-produced fuel. For example, Wa-Nee Community Schools in Elkhart County, Indiana only pays $.99 per gallon of propane.

Strengthening financial viability and insulating districts from fuel price volatility that comes from shifting political winds can help mitigate the need for leaders to make unfortunate tradeoffs that impact the critical educational programming our students need and deserve.

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Todd Mouw is executive vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH CleanTech, an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology. Mouw has served as president of the NTEA Green Truck Association. To learn more, call 800.59.ROUSH or visit ROUSHcleantech.com.