School districts feeling the pinch with rising gas prices
As gas prices continue to increase, some are wondering if local school districts are having to adjust their budgets to accommodate for the surging expenses.
Local school districts heavily depend on different vehicles and transportation services. Everything from school buses to maintenance and operation vehicles.
Brian Murray is the assistant superintendent of businesses services for Palm Springs Unified School District.
"A couple of our departments or divisions have had to make budget adjustments or transfer funds from one budget line to another to accommodate the increase in gas prices." said Murray. "It's not really a matter of cutting budgets, it's a shifting of funds, really, it's shifting funds from one line to another."
The PSUSD maintenance and operations department had to transfer $5,000 for gas, and nutrition services had to transfer about $14,190 within their budgets.
PSUSD's budget for this year ends June 30. So departments and schools will be determining any increases in fuel budgets that will be necessary for the 2022-2023 budget based on the remaining balances on their 2021-2022 fuel budgets.
"When we put a budget together, we anticipate certain expenditures in different areas," said Murray.
So far Palm Springs Unified has not had to cut back or adjust its transportation of students due to rising fuel prices.
Coachella Valley Unified School District predicts this school year's fuel expenses to be significantly higher. Its annual fuel expenses are projected to rise by about 44% from the 2018- 2019 school year. The last two school years have incomplete data due to distance learning.
"So this year, the only change we've we've had to incur is that prediction of the fuel expenses," said CVUSD community engagement manager Lissette Santiago. "And we as of right now we haven't had to make any changes that we are aware of, but we're constantly monitoring all of our operations."
Desert Sands Unified School District sent News Channel 3 a statement regarding the issue of rising fuel costs:
"Budgets are developed using a variety of factors. These factors are based on how individual schools utilize their available dollars. Like any budget, there can be fluctuation due to changing priorities and plans. As gasoline has only recently increased significantly in price, the impact is really just beginning to show. It will take some time to see the full impact of the increase. Adjustments to 2022-2023 budgets will take place as planning
DSUSD
continues over the next few months.
But school districts may have more to worry about than just rising fuel costs.
"We're going to have to take that into consideration knowing that it's just not fuel prices that are going to increase but it's going to be the cost of many other things as well," said Murray.
