Local
Indiana districts reroute buses and defer work as diesel costs climb
Indiana diesel averaged $6.57 a gallon, roughly $3 more than a year earlier, prompting school systems to adjust transportation plans. Indianapolis Public Schools has changed routes to use less fuel, while Greenwood postponed summer maintenance projects to manage higher bills.
Indiana school districts are changing bus operations and delaying other work as diesel prices rise amid the Iran war, adding pressure to transportation budgets already strained by a shortage of drivers.
Diesel in Indiana averaged $6.57 per gallon, about $3 above the same time last year. The state’s gas tax holiday does not apply to diesel, leaving school bus fleets outside that relief.
Indianapolis Public Schools has reworked bus routes to reduce fuel use. In Greenwood, superintendent Terry Terhune said the district postponed summer maintenance projects to help offset higher fuel bills.
Kankakee Valley Schools consolidated two routes after several bus drivers resigned. District officials warned last month that continued high diesel prices would have a major impact.
The cost increases come as districts contend with a yearslong bus driver shortage. Together, staffing and fuel pressures can affect students’ ability to get to school and participate in activities, while creating difficult choices about transportation spending and other services.
A May survey of 188 school officials nationwide found that 40% had adjusted bus routes, 25% had cut routes, and 20% had limited optional trips. Eight percent said students had to walk farther to bus stops.
Peter Mannella of the National Association for Pupil Transportation said districts often view transportation as a non-instructional expense, making it a target for cuts. Officials may try to reduce transportation costs to protect spending on services such as school libraries, he said.