RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. — As diesel prices climb to record highs nationwide, school districts in the Tennessee Valley are bracing for a costly start to the school year as they work to keep buses on the road.
Diesel in the U.S. is now $6.51 on average, a nearly 30-cent jump from one week ago. According to AAA, that is the highest-ever average recorded price for diesel.
Prices have been steadily increasing since the War in Iran began in May, and with no end to the conflict in sight, schools are preparing to shoulder the increased cost of transporting students.
Many school buses run on diesel, and in Tennessee the average price is topping $6.20 right now, up from an average of $3.40 last year.
In Rhea County, Transportation Director Michael Tipton says the rising costs are changing the math for school systems.
“This is the first year that the fuel cost and the cost to buy buses are about the same,” Tipton says.
With the rise in diesel costs, Rhea County Schools says it spends more than $600 every time it goes to the pump to fill up each of its buses.
Tipton says he is looking to add more buses that use propane fuel or regular gasoline through grant money.
“The bottom line is we’ve got to get our kids to school,” Tipton says.
In Bledsoe County, school officials say having four electric buses has helped ease the impact of rising fuel costs. Transportation Director Bryan Turner says…
“It ended up working out pretty well.”
Turner added that canceling school activities or field trips to save money on fuel is not an option.
“A lot of the parents and a lot of the students, they rely on us,” Turner says.
Even if high fuel costs persist, Turner says the district plans to keep operating as usual.
“Hopefully there’ll be savings elsewhere,” Turner says.
For more information on where to find the lowest gas prices in Chattanooga, go here.