It seems like everyday I hear a new story about the impact of increased gas prices, from stories about the impact on different industries such as restaurants and airlines, to stories like those Christine pointed out, about how increased gas prices impact people's driving and spending habits. On Monday, the Washington Post did a story that was all over the local news about one way rising gas prices impact public schools and their ability to provide school buses for students, prompting one local school board to consider making students walk longer distances in order to save money on fuel costs.
According to the Washington Post story, not only have school systems' costs for fuel associated with school buses doubled in four years, but a one penny rise in gas prices costs the school system $33,000 a year. Hence, the increased gas prices are having a real impact on school budgets, many of which are already hurting.
To respond to the problem, one local county school board considered a policy givng their superintendent the option of making students walk further in the event of a fiscal mergency. Raising the maximum walking distances for students translates into costs savings because it means fewer buses or bus runs. The policy was approved, but not without controversy. As it stands, the current policy is that elementary school students are not permitted to walk more than a mile, while middle school students cannot walk farther than a mile and a half, and high school students cannot walk farther than two miles. Parents contended that extending these walking distances raised safety concerns, especially for those students who may have to walk along busy streets. Then too, extending these distances could mean that many students would lose their bus ride altogether. Apparently the last time the walking distances were extended some 2,000 students lost their ride. To be sure, at least one person pointed out that, given the nation's problem with obesity, increasing walking distances could be a good thing. Then too, the costs savings could translate into important benefits for the schools, freeing up money to hire new teachers, for example.
In the end, however, the story is yet another demonstration of how rising gas prices translates into difficult choices.
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1. Posted by Christine on June 25, 2008 @ 9:54 | Permalink
And of course, while such a decision would save money for a school district, it would increase gas use and gas costs for others. If 2,000 students lose their ride, I would guess many if not most of those students would then be driven to school by their parents or guardians, resulting in a net gas usage increase.
In Fall 2005, my mother-in-law's school district considered going to a 4-day week to save on fuel costs, both for buses and on electricity. As a working parent, you know what kind of chaos that would create for the parents of elementary/middle school children, even though it would save a lot of money for the school district! The proposal did not pass.
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