Susan Leonardini fills up her bus with diesel fuel Monday at the Lodi Unified School District bus garage. Leonardini has been driving buses at LUSD for 21 years. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Cost to fill up 75 lusd buses every day: $4,000

Price of gas hitting local schools hard

If you think the soaring price of gas is hitting your pocketbook hard, take a look at your local school district.

Lodi Unified School District spends $4,000 a day filling up its 75 diesel buses.

"It's a lot of money, but kids got to go to school," said Carlos Garcia, director of transportation at Lodi Unified.

At the beginning of the school year in September, Garcia said the school district spent $2.40 a gallon filling its tanks with diesel. That number is up to $3.51 now.

"It's really putting a dent in my budget," Garcia said.

Lodi Unified gets a lower, fleet price for diesel buses.

This year, Lodi Unified budgeted $630,000 for fuel. With two months left in the school year, the transportation department has already exceeded that amount, although it is unclear by how much.

To compensate, Lodi Unified has started assigning its 27 compressed natural gas buses to its longer routes.

On average, a Lodi Unified bus travels approximately 120 miles a day.

The district currently pays approximately $1.07 for compressed natural gas.

"There's a big difference between $1.70 and $3.51," Garcia said.

The department has also combined routes, cut back overtime and done everything its staff can think of to help, said Michelle Madrid, operations supervisor for the transportation department.

Bruce Becker, transportation supervisor and director at Galt Elementary and High School districts, said his department tries to be as efficient as possible.

In July 2007, the district paid $2.58 per gallon for diesel, said Jim Bauler, assistant superintendent for Galt Elementary School District. In February 2008, that price rose to $3.27, a 69 cent increase.

Bauler said the district budgeted $78,500 for fuel this year. He expects the district will have to add up to $10,000 to that budget by the end of the year.

Exact figures were unavailable for Galt High School District.

Neither Galt Elementary or Galt High School district has any compressed natural gas buses. The districts' newer, diesel buses are more fuel efficient than their older counterparts, though.

However, Becker said, certain buses need to run on specific routes to accommodate either the type or the number of passengers.

For example, some special-needs children require buses that will suit their needs.

In addition, routes with heavy passenger loads need buses large enough to accommodate as many students.

With 13 buses each for Galt High School and Galt Elementary, Becker said he is limited on the amount of finagling he can do.

"We have to use the resources we have," Becker said.

Relief may come in small doses, at least for Galt Joint Union Elementary School District. Galt Elementary gave the "OK" to purchase three new buses recently.

Presently, Galt High School District's oldest bus is a 1988 Crown. Galt Elementary District's is a 1976 Gillig.

Although diesel buses can travel longer distances, Garcia said, he's started to put compressed natural gas buses on field trip duty instead.

Compressed-natural-gas-run buses can go approximately 350 miles before running out of fuel, while diesel buses can travel around 600 miles.

Garcia said Lodi Unified has an agreement with several other transportation companies and school districts that have compressed natural gas fuel islands, so Lodi Unified's buses can refuel at other locations if need be.

Garcia also plans to park all of his diesel buses during the summer.

Not only will that be good for his budget, it will also be good for the environment, Garcia said.

"A CNG bus is always going to be cleaner," Garcia said.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.