As school systems wind down their financial years, the fuel situation is getting down to the wire for some.The situation was not improved by Hurricane Ike’s disruption of oil supply from the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago.
The transportation departments of area school systems are trying to be conservative with their fuel supplies to make them last as long as possible.
Griff Hill, coordinator of transportation and safety services for the Talladega County School System, said the system is monitoring its fuel situation closely.
“We’re trying to make it as far as we can until we get to the new fiscal year. We’re over budget in fuel, and the hurricane situation gave us a new problem,” Hill said.
He said the School System has been working closely with distributor R.K. Allen Oil to be sure buses get enough fuel. In the past the county schools have been able to get 2,000 to 1,500 gallons of gas in one fuel drop, Hill said, but that number has been limited to 300 and 400 gallons with the tight gasoline supply now.
“We have eight fuel tanks at different sites across the school district, and we monitor those daily to make sure we have fuel in those tanks,” Hill said.
He said he heard the gasoline supply situation should be straightened out in about a week.
Talladega City Schools Assistant Superintendent Doug Campbell said Talladega school buses do not have any fuel to spare.
“We’re about like everyone else,” Campbell said. “We’re not out of the woods, but if we’re prudent and curtail things like field trips and actions like that, we’re hopefully going to be able to meet our needs.”
Campbell said the School System has been in close contact with its fuel provider and has been gauging where the system is with fuel supply on a week-to-week basis during the shortage.
“We don’t have any excess, but we do feel like we will be OK,” Campbell said.
Sylacauga City Schools Superintendent Dr. Jane Cobia said the Sylacauga bus fleet has not run into any supply problems yet.
“We try to keep the buses at half or more full at all times. We’ve had no problem with supply, but hopefully there will be more coming in soon,” Cobia said. “We were very cautious, and we have been watching supplies very closely with the diesel our buses use.”
Cobia said since oil prices rose so dramatically in April and May, the School System’s monthly fuel costs have been over budget, but the School System has been able to absorb those costs.
Pell City Schools Assistant Superintendent Michael Barber said the School System has not run into any fuel supply problems either.
“Availability has not been a problem for us,” Barber said. “Other than the expense, we haven’t had an issue.”
