Legislation Needed to Protect School Districts from High Fuel Costs

This blog entry appeared in Washington newspaper The Hill today, but I wanted to make sure that folks here in California saw what Congress is doing to try and help.

Schools, just like families and businesses across the country, are being squeezed by high gas prices. That’s why yesterday, along with my colleague Rep. Zack Space (OH-18), I introduced legislation to address the impact high gas prices have on the ability of school districts to transport our children to and from school.

More and more, the astronomical cost of diesel fuel for school buses has cut into school budgets, forcing school districts to reduce service, start charging or increase fees for bus service, or cut back on other programs.

In my district, some schools are facing a 40 percent increase in their fuel budgets over last year. In order to cope with that increased cost, some districts have reduced the amount of time bus drivers are permitted to wait for a child. One district has increased by 35 percent the fee it already charges parents for their children to ride the bus to school. And several districts are facing potential service cuts, especially in rural areas where buses travel lengthy routes and are already packed with students.

Our children need a quality education in order to compete in today’s global economy. We have an obligation to them and we cannot allow the price of gasoline to adversely affect their education in any way.

The Gas Price Relief for Schools Act provides emergency funding over a two year period to help public school districts offset increases in school bus transportation costs due to high fuel prices. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to award grants to state or local governments responsible for providing school bus transportation to a public school system, based on need. Considerations include whether a public school system has implemented cuts to transportation services, changes in school operations such as a shorter school week, and the distances school buses must travel to transport students.