Marble Falls, Burnet school districts see fuel cost savings
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — Burnet and Marble Falls school districts are enjoying the benefits of lower fuel costs, but where the savings goes depends on the needs of students.
Sarah Cervi, Burnet Consolidated Independent School District’s director of business and finance, said the district has spent $113,000 in fuel so far this school year compared to $138,000 during the same span last year.
“It’s tens of thousands of dollars,” she said. “It’s money we don’t have to spend. We can have it as savings or redirect it to something else.”
George Hamilton, Marble Falls Independent School District’s transportation director, said the district has spent $140,000 year to date. By comparison, the school district spent $150,200 during the same time frame.
“But most of the savings has been in the last 30 days,” he said. “We were out of school for two weeks in December when prices started to really drop. Our cost for fuel this January compared to last January is over $6,000 less.”
BCISD has a contract with Texas Fleet Fuel, but it’s not a locked-in rate, Cervi said, which means the school district pays the current fuel prices.
Gas prices began falling during the summer and continued through the past six months.
What BCISD will do with the savings depends on district leaders, Cervi said.
Staff members will continue to examine the needs of the school district then present them to the board of trustees with recommendations before the money is allocated, she said.
Ultimately, the driving force behind what the school district spends and where it spends it comes down to meeting the needs of the students, Cervi said, and providing the best all-around education possible.
jfierro@thepicayune.com