--- title: "School Bus Diesel Bills Have Doubled in Some Areas. Now Activities Are at Risk" date: "2026-10-07" modified: "2026-10-07" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/school-bus-diesel-bills-have-doubled-in-some-areas-now-activities-are-at-risk" categories: - "News" --- # School Bus Diesel Bills Have Doubled in Some Areas. Now Activities Are at Risk ![WESTBROOK, ME - OCTOBER 9: School busses lined up at the Westbrook School Transportation lot on Monday, October 9, 2023. (Staff photo by Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)]() *\Portland Press Herald via Getty\* This is one of those rare situations that probably only concerns you if you have kids in school, but even if you don't, there's still enough reason to be upset. Remember all those football games, band competitions, or cool field trips to the farm, zoo, park, or museums when you were in school? Well, for kids today, those are at risk of getting axed because of [record-high diesel prices](). The School Superintendents Association, the Association of School Business Officials International, and the National Association for Pupil Transportation recently [surveyed]() 188 school districts nationwide to find out how today's diesel prices are affecting their operational budgets. As the [study]() and other [reports]() highlight, fuel costs aren't tied only to school buses; they also affect landscaping machinery, generators, and other equipment needed to run other vehicles, buildings, events, and more. "The historic fuel prices in general have created some serious budgetary hurdles for the district to navigate and overcome," Aaron Butler, the transportation director of the Mishicot School District in Wisconsin, told *[NBC26]()*. "I just filled the cans for lawnmowers this morning, and it was $115, and that takes us one week, so that adds up in a hurry too." According to Butler, the district is spending an additional $1,000 per week, or $4,000 more per month on fuel than originally budgeted. As a result, [many school districts]() are scrutinizing extracurricular activities like field trips because of the cost. And that's exactly what the [survey]() referenced above discovered: - *When asked to compare their approved/final budget for diesel in the 2025-26 school year to actual diesel costs, 22% of respondents reported actual costs running 11-20% over budget compared to 20% reporting costs running 6-10% over budget, and 14% reporting costs running more than 20% over budget.* - *When asked how their district is managing rising diesel prices in the 2025-26 school year, respondents reported: absorbing extra costs within their current transportation budget (63%); transferring funding from other district funds/programs (32%); using district reserves/rainy day funds (19%); and not yet covered (15%)*. Perhaps more importantly, if you have kids in school, these additional expenditures have real consequences. These include reducing the number of routes and stops and making kids walk longer distances to bus stops—something that, in some areas, could be a major safety hazard. - *When asked to identify the operational changes already adopted in the 2025-26 school year to adjust for rising diesel costs, respondents reported: consolidated bus routes/adjusting route efficiency (40%); enforced anti-idling measures (27%); reduced number of routes (25%); limited non-required trips like field trips (20%); changed fuel purchasing practices (14%); increased walk-to-stop ratio (8%); moved away from yellow bus to non-diesel vehicles (7%); and negotiated contracts with transportation vendors (6%).* As a parent with one kid who often rides the bus and another who drives their own car to school, it's sad to see already cash-strapped schools get put through the wringer due to rising fuel costs. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()