Diesel at nearly $6 squeezes Denton County school bus budgets

School districts around Denton County are paying far more to keep buses on the road this fall, and at least two say the cost will shape their next budgets.

The Denton Record-Chronicle surveyed area districts this week. Gulf Coast diesel averaged $5.955 a gallon on Monday, Sept. 29, with gasoline at $3.841, according to figures in that report.

Ponder: "more than double"

Ponder ISD runs 21 buses, all diesel. Its regular routes cover about 1,000 miles a week, and the district logged 6,800 miles of non-route travel in August alone, the Record-Chronicle reported.

"Fuel costs are more than double what we paid last year," Superintendent James Hill told the paper, adding that rising costs "will significantly impact our future budgetary needs."

Denton ISD leans on propane

Denton ISD's 209-bus fleet is almost entirely propane: 201 propane buses and eight diesel. The buses average about 58,333 miles a week, plus roughly 6,000 miles a month for sports, fine arts and academic trips. The district reported paying $1.10 a gallon for propane, $5.30 for diesel and $3.45 for unleaded gasoline.

Nick Petito, the district's chief communications and marketing officer, said the increase will require a larger fuel allocation in the 2027-28 budget, which leaves less for vehicle replacement, repairs and equipment.

Krum ISD gave a shorter response, confirming that fuel prices affect the growing district and saying it plans for a 10 to 20 percent budget cushion to absorb swings in the market.

How districts are responding

The measures districts described include buying propane in bulk at lower prices, checking fuel costs and consumption monthly, tightening routes, reducing the "white fleet" of non-student vehicles, and limiting extracurricular travel where possible.

The state has also stepped in on the diesel side. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration on Sept. 29 that allows dyed diesel on Texas roads for 30 days and asks the EPA to waive ultra-low sulfur diesel requirements.

Sources

Denton Record-Chronicle