Soaring prices at the pumps have put an extra burden on school district transportation budgets, prompting some Utah school officials to think twice before reserving buses for end-of-the-school-year athletic events and field trips.

"It's been very difficult," said Craig Carter, transportation director for the Davis School District. "The price of fuel has gone up at least 20 cents a gallon for us. We're drawing on funds from other places to cover the expense."Carter says the district has been dipping into its repair expenses budget to make up the difference. But in the meantime, he's also asked schools to prioritize their bus trips.

While there's no concern that buses running to and from school are at risk, field trips and athletic events may need to be scaled back.

"We've been cautious about what we do," said Dee Burton, assistant principal at Layton High School. "We've told teachers to be judicious about their extracurricular and team bus requests. For short trips, like to Davis High School, we've had some kids drive themselves rather than get a bus."

So far, Burton said, no events have had to be canceled.

"If we can get through April, we'll be in good shape," said Carter. Most big athletic events will be over by the end of the month.

Granite School District, too, has also felt the bite of higher gas prices.

"All our buses run on diesel fuel," said transportation director Carl Christiansen. "It was $.90 a gallon when the school year started, and it's $1.30 now. That makes a big difference when you realize these buses get five to eight miles a gallon, and we put 3 million miles a year on them."

School districts, however, do not pay state tax on their fuel.

Christiansen says he'll ask the school board for an increase in next year's budget. Meanwhile, "we haven't had to curtail any trips yet."

Gas prices have had less of an impact on districts that are geographically smaller than Granite and Davis.

"It really hasn't impacted us yet," said Salt Lake City District spokesman Dave Green.

But Jordan District, with the largest transportation budget in the state, has felt the pinch.

View Comments

"The gas prices have been a major concern the past 90 days or so," said transportation director Steve Woods. "We see things fluctuate a little from time to time, like last fall. But we've never seen it this dramatic."

Like Granite District, Woods says Jordan will have to readdress transportation budgets next year to cover these higher fuel costs.

In other states, buses are provided to school districts by contract companies, whose profit margins have taken a serious hit this spring.

"Obviously, kids have to get to school," said Karen Finkel, executive director of the National School Transportation Association, which represents school bus contractors. "People are just having to live with it, just like the truckers are having to live with it, just like you and I are having to live with it."

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.