High gas prices impacting school budgets

WICOMICO COUNTY, Md.- Gas prices may be hurting many of us right now, but we’re not the only ones. It’s also affecting the Wicomico County Public School District budget.

We’re told they evaluate fuel prices by annual basis for their school bus contractors, as well as for their own County operation. They also plan their budget about 10 months to a year in advance, so we’re told it’s hard to predict how the prices will have an impact. But right now, they said they’re having to absorb the high costs even though it hurts a little.

“We operate 42 school buses in Wicomico County and so therefore the prices of tires of increased based off of the increase fuel prices, the price of oil when we go to do preventive maintenance on our vehicles, our school buses those prices have increased,” Desmond Hughes, Director of Transportation for WCPS, said.

Even though prices are high, they are not reducing their school bus routes or reducing their transportation services.