Soaring fuel prices and state budget cuts — the worst of both worlds — have Baldwin school officials scrambling for ways to cut transportation costs.
In May, the school system paid $4.16 per gallon for diesel fuel, said Assistant Superintendent JaNay Dawson. That translates to about $45,000 per week, she said, or roughly quadruple what the system paid a few years ago.
Among the ideas under consideration are:
- Consolidating routes in an effort to use fewer buses.
- Setting up centralized pickup points, such as a subdivision entrance, instead of having a bus zigzag through a development. Less stop-and-go driving will improve fuel efficiency.
- In rural areas, setting up centralized pickup points near major roads. Buses often run long distances to service a handful of homes, officials said, and eliminating those trips would reduce mileage.
- Converting a handful of buses to alternative fuels, such as propane or bio-diesel, in hopes of getting improved gas mileage. The current bus fleet averages 8.6 miles per gallon.
- Cutting back on field trips, which Dawson said is the least desirable idea.
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