It’s school season again, and although the superstores have seemingly been advertising schools supply sales since the 4th of July, most parents will get an unadvertised surprise from their school districts this fall. The price of going to school is going up. School districts already struggling to keep their head above financial water have simply run out of classes and programs to cut as a means of finding room in their budgets, and thus feel they have no other choice but to pass the rising costs onto the parents.

Most school districts fuel expenses, which primarily goes for diesel fuel to run the buses, has gone up 45-55% from last year’s budget. This is causing schools to do things such as expand the distance around the school by which busing will not be provided. Some schools are charging a surcharge to families who wish their children ride the bus within the area that is deemed close enough to walk to school. (Typically this is a 1-3 mile radius around the school.)

If the rising fuel cost weren’t enough, the rising price of food has been on a steady incline for the past several years, turning to a sharp incline last year. Many school districts are having to raise their breakfast and lunch fees for the first time in several years in order to cope. The price of food too is also being effected by fuel costs. Suppliers, like everyone else are not immune from the cost of fuel, and most of them have now started assessing a drop fee surcharge to cover their own fuel expenses. This is just added pressure on the cost of food goods. This reality has schools who in the past would have tried to buy higher quality food and products produced from local suppliers are now fiscally forced to buy from whomever is cheapest. This means that although the students may get the minimum required nutrition, that is all they will get, nothing more.