Rising fuel prices burn through school budgets

School officials are facing tough budget choices to make up for shortfalls caused by rising fuel prices.

Many local schools expect to exceed their 2005-’06 fuel budgets, despite what many people consider to be a mild winter so far. The reason is high heating prices — an expense schools could not predict would increase so drastically when budgets were passed last spring.
As a result, many schools are planning to take from other budget areas or dip into budget surplus to make up the difference. In addition, they expect to raise 2006-’07 budgets for fuel to at least the overall amount spent this year.

The wild and fluctuating costs of fuel have made this budget line item as unpopular as medical and retirement expenses that schools cannot avoid. Leon Reed, superintendent of the Schuylerville Central School District, which faces a possible $80,000 shortfall, said the high cost may force the district to delay some purchases when looking at expenditures.

“If this keeps going every year, it does have an impact on every aspect of your budget,” Reed said. “There is a limit of what people will approve for taxes.”

The Post-Star (Glens Falls, NY)