T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK A St. Clairsville-Richland City School District bus drops off students.

WHEELING – The price of diesel is approaching $6 a gallon as the current school year winds down, and school officials admit that, if the trend doesn’t change over the summer, some changes with school transportation next year might be necessary.

Union Local Schools Superintendent Zak Shutler noted the state provides a motor fuel tax refund to school districts that partially offsets some of their costs.

“But our school district is very rural, and the buses are on the road a long time,” he said. “When fuel prices go up, it does increase our budget.”

The Union Local School District has gas tanks at the bus garage which permit the school district vehicles to fill on site, Shutler continued. These are also filled by Belmont-Carson Petroleum.

“We purchase four or five times a year, and the last time we filled up was five weeks ago,” he said. “We haven’t felt the pain yet.”

But the reality is the Union Local School District likely will face higher costs next year, according to Shutler. That makes a 3-mill permanent improvement levy passed this week by voters all the more important, he explained. Revenue generated is to be used for maintenance, including fuel costs.

“We have to look at what the economy is now, and the reality over the past two years is that there has been massive inflation. Utility rates are continuing to go up,” he said.

“We were able to get the levy passed, and our maintenance cost will not have to come out of our general fund. Money in that fund is supposed to go to students and learning.”

Shutler noted higher fuel costs impact a school district much in the same way it impacts a home, “only on a much larger scale.”

“We understand what people are going through,” he continued. “We are trying to be good stewards of the dollars and keep our schools a great place to be and learn.”

On the West Virginia side, David Crumm, operations director for Ohio County Schools, said he and other school officers are “definitely keeping an eye on” the rising cost of diesel.”

He noted that in addition to the higher price of fuel, the school’s levies are not generating as much revenue as property valuations in Ohio County “have not been where they were in the past.”

Crumm said he has been in discussions with Steven Bieniek, business manager for Ohio County Schools, Superintendent Kim Miller and Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones as to whether there is a need to cut back. So far, there is not a need as the end of the school year is nearing, according to Crumm. But next school year could be a different story. He indicated that some field trip activities currently available to students could be the first eliminated if there are cutbacks.

Ohio County Schools each year enters into a contract with a petroleum provider for fuel for buses and school district vehicles, and this helps to keep costs from increasing as much as on the regular market, he explained.

“But we are subject to an extent to what prices are and how they fluctuate,” Crumm continued.

Presently, Ohio County Schools has a fuel contract with Belmont-Carson Petroleum. The company fills large tanks located at the bus garage. But this doesn’t mean the school district can stock up on diesel when the cost is lower. The tanks typically have to be filled twice a month, according to Crumm.

“We try to keep them above half full,” he said. “We don’t want to worry about a situation where we would run out.”

If Ohio County Schools has to make cuts, it would probably be educational and reward field trips that would be eliminated.

“We are pleased we currently have the ability to give athletes and students opportunities they may not otherwise get,” Crumm said. “That is what Ohio County Schools does well. We offer the most opportunities among the school districts in West Virginia, and in the nearby surrounding states. That is because of the continued support of levies by our community.”

Among the opportunities for students in Ohio County Schools are educational trips and activities made possible through the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Program (PBIS). Students earn points from bus drivers for good behavior on the bus. These are then turned into school administrators, and often the points are turned into field trip rewards for students at the end of the year.

In Marshall County Schools, Nate Lilley, shop foreman at the bus garage, said the crunch is being felt.

“Everything is going up – the fuel alone is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There is the cost of oil, lubricants, parts and shipping costs.

“We try to save money where we can. We’ve got to get the kids to and from school, and they are still taking the activity trips so far. Hopefully, things die down over summer and (lower fuel prices) come back a little bit. If not, it’s a concern and we will have to prepare for next year.”

Lilley noted that Marshall County Schools buys its fuel primarily from BFS Petroleum and Sprague Petroleum.

There are two tanks at the bus garage, as well as additional outlying tanks at Sherrard Middle School and Cameron High School.

“They’re smaller tanks, and we have to continually fill them as they get low,” Lilley said.