Diesel at $6.54 a gallon forces school districts to find money for buses

Diesel fuel now costs far more than it did a year ago, and school districts are feeling it. In Pennsylvania, diesel averaged $6.54 a gallon the week of Oct. 24, up from $3.97 a year earlier ¹. In Vermont, AAA put the price at $6.40 a gallon in early October, near record levels ².

Nearly 90% of U.S. school buses run on diesel, according to the Engine Technology Forum ¹. Buses average roughly seven miles per gallon, so driving 100 miles costs about $36 more in fuel than it did last year ¹.

Vermont districts spend more than planned

Champlain Valley School District expects to spend about $200,000 more than it budgeted. Its diesel costs are rising by an estimated $16,000 to $20,000 a month ².

South Burlington Public Schools did not budget for roughly $80,000 or more in added fuel costs ². The district's transportation department said it may have to cancel some trips and ask parents to drive students to athletic events if prices keep rising ².

I don't see that the price of diesel fuel, or even gasoline, is going to drop as fast as it rose.

Pennsylvania contractors take the hit first

Most districts in Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania hire outside companies to run their buses. Contract terms decide whether the company or the district pays for higher fuel prices ¹.

Wayne Highlands School District's board voted for a temporary stipend of an extra 20 cents per mile for its contractors ¹. Southern Tioga School District pays contractors a supplemental fuel payment based on miles driven ¹.

In Scranton, the contractor bills fuel at year's end. Costs above a set threshold are paid by the district. From March to June, fuel costs exceeded that threshold, which cost the district about $11,000 ¹.

One contractor, FishingCreek Transportation, says it is paying 48% more for fuel this fall than a year ago ¹. Its owner, Fred Bennett, said settlements usually come at the end of the operating year, so the short term is hard ¹.

Our contract revenue doesn't necessarily increase with it

What happens next

Officials in Vermont do not expect quick relief. The Energy Information Administration reported that New England diesel prices dipped slightly over the prior week, but officials expect the strain to continue until prices return to normal ².

Some districts are looking at other fuels. East Stroudsburg Area School District owns propane buses, and propane has not seen a steep price increase ¹. Electric buses are another option, but contractors and districts have hesitated over cost, charging infrastructure and battery range on long rural routes ¹.

Small contractors may be at risk. Aaron Sepkowski, immediate past president of the Pennsylvania School Bus Association, warned that prolonged fuel increases could push family-owned contractors out of the industry ¹. School bus driver employment is already 9.5% below 2019 levels, according to the Economic Policy Institute ¹.

Why it matters

Neither report we could read ties these costs to a candidate or party, and we did not find a Democratic or Republican official commenting on them. The pattern is still plain. Fuel costs that districts did not plan for fall on local budgets, and in the end on taxpayers, parents and the smaller companies that carry children to school.

That matters a week before Election Day because school budgets are set locally. Whether prices ease before the vote is not something either report can answer.

The Record

1. Oct 1, 2026AAA put Vermont diesel at $6.40 a gallon as Champlain Valley schools projected about $200,000 in unbudgeted fuel costs ².
2. Oct 24, 2026Pennsylvania diesel averaged $6.54 a gallon, up from $3.97 a year earlier, as Wayne Highlands approved a 20-cent-per-mile contractor stipend ¹.

Sources

1. WESA (WVIA), “Pa. school bus drivers, districts struggle with high diesel prices, fear future of small companies” (2026-10-24). wesanews.org/politics-government/2026-10-24/school-bus-drive
2. WCAX, “Record diesel prices strain Vermont school district budgets” (2026-10-01). wcax.com/2026/10/02/record-diesel-prices-strain-vermont-scho

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