In Other News · United States

Source: Axios

For millions of children, the school day starts on a diesel-powered bus with a driver behind the wheel. Now, school districts are struggling to afford both.Why it matters: The Iran War is sending diesel costs higher just as districts are grappling with a yearslong bus driver shortage — a double whammy that can ripple into missed breakfasts, late classes and fewer school activities.What they're saying: "We're a non-instructional expense for a district," Peter Mannella of the National Association for Pupil Transportation tells Axios."The inclination is always going to be let's see what we can cut out of transportation costs because we don't want to affect the school library," he says, adding that districts would rather protect spending on teachers, aides, and special education.The big picture: Districts are consolidating routes, cutting trips and squeezing more efficiency out of their fleets.A May survey of 188 school officials found 40% had adjusted routes, 27% enforced anti-idling rules, 25% cut routes, 20% limited optional trips, 14% changed fuel purchasing and 8% made students walk farther to stops.Mannella said those changes result in more parents driving students to school activities or districts moving pickup points farther from students' homes."It starts to affect kids and families,...