Texas school district cuts bus idling as it braces for $1 million fuel budget overrun

A Texas school district expecting to exceed its fuel budget by $1 million is reducing the time its buses spend idling to conserve diesel.

Here's what to know

Northside Independent School District operates 400 buses serving students across north and northwest Bexar County, according to Spectrum News. It ranks fourth among Texas school districts by size and operates the state's second-largest school bus fleet.

A statewide purchasing cooperative provides Northside with a fuel price that remains fixed throughout the school year. The district joined to help manage its fuel expenses.

"We locked it in at $4.46 a gallon, more than a $1 a gallon than we were paying the previous year," said Tesilia Soliz, Northside Independent School District transportation director.

The higher fuel costs put more pressure on a district already facing a budget deficit.

More background

Neighboring North East Independent School District faces similar challenges as it works to keep 205 school buses running. Depending on diesel prices, the district spends between $30,000 and $50,000 on fuel each week, according to Spectrum News.

Bill Harrison, North East Independent School District's transportation director, said prices had climbed as high as $5.39 per gallon. The district was paying about $2.10 more per gallon.

With more than half the school year still ahead, North East Independent School District had already spent more than half its transportation budget.

What's being done?

Northside is ending the practice of leaving buses running to provide air conditioning while band students wait between competitions. The change is one way San Antonio districts are cutting idling to conserve fuel.

North East Independent School District typically allows its buses a three-minute idling period after school on hot August and September afternoons. Cooler temperatures brought an end to that practice, Harrison said.

"When you talk about 200 buses idling for two or three minutes, and we shut that down to zero minutes, that saves quite a bit of fuel," Harrison said.

Elsewhere in Texas, high school students in Austin Independent School District walk to shared pickup locations after the district eliminated their neighborhood bus routes.

Despite the pressure to conserve fuel, Harrison emphasized that the transportation team's responsibility to families remains unchanged.

"Our goal is to make sure kids have a reliable and safe way to school and home from school," Harrison said. 

Where can I learn more?

Rising diesel costs are squeezing school transportation budgets well beyond Northside. 

• In Colorado, diesel-driven school bus cuts are leaving students late, hungry, and walking farther.

• New York added 40 electric school buses after overhead charging cut costs by 20%.

• A Massachusetts school's new electric bus fleet and solar canopy promise $2.33 million in savings.

• In San Antonio, an 11-year-old's lost bus route prompted concerns about walking safety.

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