School districts face a back-to-school math problem: The high price of diesel

The spike is tied to the war with Iran, which drove prices up sharply starting in the spring. A gallon of diesel cost $3.70 this time last year, meaning districts are now paying roughly $2 more per gallon than they budgeted for. That math gets ugly fast when you consider that about 90 percent of the country's 480,000 school buses run on diesel.

Lubbock ISD runs buses across a spread-out city, from neighborhoods near Tech Terrace to schools on the far south side, so the district isn't immune to what's happening nationally. A May survey from organizations representing school superintendents and bus companies found more than half of districts surveyed said diesel costs were forcing them to make hard choices, though the survey excerpt cuts off before detailing what those choices looked like.

For families here, the concern is less about pump prices and more about what happens when a district has to cover a fuel shortfall. That money typically comes from somewhere else in the budget, and in schools, somewhere else usually means classrooms.