Nebraska schools feeling pinch of gas prices

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By KEVIN ABOUREZK/Lincoln Journal Star

Gary Trump isn’t convinced changing athletic conferences will serve the students of Southern Public Schools in Wymore or really save the district money.

But the Southern Sports Boosters board member isn’t dismissing the idea that switching to the Pioneer Conference will allow the district to save money on gas.

“I’m not sure how many miles you’re actually saving,” he said. “Evidently, they’re saving some mileage or they wouldn’t have went that direction.”

But Michael Shimeall, superintendent of Southern Public Schools in Wymore, is hopeful his district’s decision to switch athletic conferences will save it money, considering the schools in its new conference are generally closer.

Regardless, the district needed to do something to try to allay the burden of high gas prices on its budget, he said.

Across Southeast Nebraska, rural school districts are facing tough decisions this year to address the high price of gas and food. And Southern Public Schools isn’t alone in deciding to change its athletic schedule to try to reduce the distances its buses must make traveling to competitions. Wahoo Public Schools also has changed its athletic schedule this year to include more competitions with schools closer to home.

School officials have resorted to other measures as well, including raising admission prices to athletic events and increasing the cost of school lunches to offset  rising food prices, which according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, are caused in large part by high gas prices.

The rising cost of food and fuel has forced many districts to get innovative and look at ways to conserve energy in the classroom and on the road.

At Beatrice Public Schools, officials have begun a series of measures to reduce the district’s energy consumption. Those measures have included working with a building efficiency company, Johnson Controls, to implement technology that allows the school to monitor and control every building to gain maximum energy savings in utilities.

About a year ago, the district also began working with Energy Education, a program that offers schools energy-saving tips, such as shutting off lights in unoccupied rooms and turning off computers at the end of days.

“This project has been successful in reducing energy consumption across the district,” said superintendent Dale Kruse.

The district’s principals are considering additional measures, he said, including combining team travel, limiting the number of team members allowed to travel to out-of-town contests and limiting the number of field trips.

“Because the needs and programs at each level — elementary, middle school and high school — are different, each building principal is looking at ways to reduce transportation costs,” Kruse said.

The scope of the problem varies from school to school, though at least one district has been forced to increase the amount it budgets for fuel and oil by 42 percent this year.

York Public Schools has budgeted more than $94,000 for the 2008-09 school year for fuel and oil — an increase of $28,000 over last year, said superintendent Terry Kenealy. The district also has imposed a speed limit on school vehicles to try to increase mileage.

“As far as travel is concerned, we will be careful to not add additional trips for activities, athletics and field trips when it is possible,” he said. “However, we have added softball this fall and our plan is to continue allowing students the opportunities we have provided students in the past if it is possible.”

He admits that could all change if fuel prices spike again.

The district is preparing for other cost increases, too, including electricity, natural gas and food. York school officials have set aside $194,000 this school year for natural gas, a 13 percent increase from last year; $216,000 for electricity, an increase of 22 percent; and raised lunch prices by 10 cents.

Jerry Phillips, superintendent of David City Public Schools, said his district has not taken steps yet to cut bus schedules, though it has redesigned its bus routes to conserve miles.

“We have opened the door to discuss future schedules,” he said.

Why? That’s easy. The district was over budget last year by 15 percent for fuel costs. This year, the district’s budget calls for 25 percent more money for fuel.

To deal with rising food costs, the district also raised lunch prices by 10 cents, Phillips said.

In Wahoo, public school officials have worked to avoid cutting any bus routes, a decision they fear would hurt the most vulnerable students.

“Limiting regular transportation tends to affect low-income families to a greater extent, so as part of our commitment to education we do not expect to curtail transportation of students in the Wahoo district,” said Edward Rastovski, superintendent of Wahoo Public Schools.

But it hasn’t been easy. With 72 passenger buses, 20 mini buses and 11 passenger vans, the district faces an increase of $15,000 in fuel costs over last year.

In addition to changing its athletic schedule to accommodate more competitions closer to home, the district has worked to increase the mileage on its buses. Those measures have included limiting the time drivers run their engines, making routes more efficient and regular tune-ups, Rastovski said.

“We do all the things we can to get the best mileage,” he said. “We consider transportation very important in providing an equal education for all students.”

Fluctuating fuel prices have motivated some districts to seek certainty in their budgets.

At Elmwood-Murdock Public Schools, officials have contracted for fuel for the first time in the consolidated district’s 19-year history, said superintendent Dan Novak.

“At least this allows for budget certainty for the year instead of having to take drastic action during the year,” he said.

High fuel costs have led to other measures in the district, Novak said, including higher admission fees to athletic events and lunch prices.

“In essence, rising fuel costs have had an across-the-board impact on school operations,” he said.

On Tuesday, voters in the Southern Public Schools District will consider a levy override that would allow the district to levy as much as 30 cents above the state’s general fund levy lid of $1.05.

The levy, said superintendent Shimeall, would be less than the district’s current levy of $1.42. That’s because the current levy is the result of an override that is expiring.

Without the override, the district will be forced to cut its levy to $1.30, forcing it to consider eliminating busing, changing to a four-day school week, cutting field trips and eliminating or reducing academic and athletic programs, he said.

Shimeall hopes it won’t come to that.

“Depending on the outcome of that election the board will have to make some decisions,” he said.

Because of a nearly 10 percent increase in fuel this year, the district already has begun making changes, including switching from the Southern Nebraska Conference to the Pioneer Conference. School officials expect the change will decrease the distance their teams travel from an average of 79 miles per game to about 42 miles per game, Shimeall said.

Regardless of the outcome of the levy override, Southern Public Schools likely will cut back on field trips because of high fuel costs, he said.

As a member of the Southeast Nebraska Distance Learning Contract, the district has partnered with the Henry Doorly Zoo and several national parks that provide virtual field trips for students with zoo and park employees.

“Taking a trip just to go somewhere is not a luxury that schools can afford anymore,” Shimeall said.

The school has had to make other changes as well, including raising lunch prices by 20 cents and eliminating a food service position.

“Fuel cost has impacted food service with vendors adding fuel surcharges to the cost of commodities,” he said.

Not everyone is happy about the changes being made at Southern Public Schools.

Gary Trump of the district’s athletic boosters club worries changing to a conference made up of smaller schools will not help the district’s athletes improve as much.

“As far as the competition level, you have smaller towns over that way,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s a weaker schedule or not.”

Reach Kevin Abourezk at 473-7225 or kabourezk@journalstar.com.