School districts, already struggling to make ends meet in classrooms, are being faced with having to come up with additional money to cover the skyrocketing fuel prices for their school buses.
Several local school districts, which operate on July 1 - June 30 fiscal years, had to come up with additional money just to cover costs before closing last fiscal year’s budgets.
 TUSD school buses travel nearly 5 million miles a year. |
Tucson Unified School District put nearly $403,000 additional toward fuel costs that totaled more than $1.8 million last fiscal year, according Alex Bendyna, ombudsperson. This year, the district is budgeting a 20 percent increase, Bendyna said.
Marana Unified School District put an extra $243,000 to its 2007-2008 fuel costs, bring the total to $984,450, a 33 percent increase, according to Donald W. Powers, transportation director.
And Catalina Foothills School District shelled out an extra $24,000 every six weeks last fiscal year to cover fuel costs on its 21 buses, according to Associate Superintendent Terry Downey.
Tucson Unified’s 332 buses last year traveled nearly 5 million miles in a year, or an average of about 20,000 miles per bus, Bendyna said. Since then the district sold 21 older buses and will operate 242 daily routes - 18 fewer than last year - which should save about $640,000.
Despite the cuts, all eligible riders will continue to have bus service for school and activities. Changes will come from using one bus instead of two when demand isn’t there.
One thing Tucson Unified’s Bendyma, Marana’s Powers and Catalina Foothills’ Downey all said is that none of their districts is providing bus transportation for students choosing a school other than their home school.
Contact reporter Ed Egger at eegger@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4238.
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