"We've used 100 percent of the gas (funds budgeted)," said Robert Daniel, chief financial officer for Bedford County. "But we budgeted for an increase, so we aren't as bad off as some other counties."

With 75 percent of the school year complete and 100 percent of the gasoline funds used, Daniel said the budget may have to be amended to allow for more gasoline purchases.

The diesel costs, however, he said were right on target, with 73 percent being used so far.

"Most of the buses are diesel," said Daniel. "But this time of year, there's a lot of field trips."

Daniel presented the monthly reports for February and March, as well as the quarterly report, at the Bedford County Board of Education meeting Thursday night.

"Last month, we were looking at taxes overall and it looked like a shortfall, but in March, it looks like a little bit of a turnaround," he said.

Property taxes were collected at 99 percent, and those and other taxes were almost making up for the shortfall -- only 69 percent of what was projected -- in sales tax revenue, said Daniel.

"We're at 94 percent overall."

Bedford County School Board Chairman Barry Cooper said those fuel increases need to be kept in mind as the next budget is formed, as well as energy costs.

"After April 1, there will be a 10 to 12 percent increase in electricity," said Cooper, adding that the TVA jump is due to fuel cost adjustments and 7 percent rate hike.

"Plus the carbon tax," Cooper said. "It will double the electric bill."

The carbon, or CO2 tax, is part of what Cooper termed the "war on coal," and is rumored to go before Congress after the November elections. Daniel said the system has exhausted only 70 percent of the budgeted energy funds, but after the rate increase in April, may have to ask for a budget amendment to finish out the school year.

"It all trickles down from gas," said board member Mary Jo Johnson. "Food costs, transportation ..."

Fuel costs and transportation were two of the reasons the board gave for approving a bid for lawn mowers submitted by Bedford Tractor, even though the bid of $11,975 was higher than two others.

"I fully believe that the cost of a piece of equipment is not what you pay for it," said board member Ron Adcock, adding that it was what the equipment cost in the long run, including maintenance and longevity, that mattered.

The other two companies who submitted bids were Yearwood Equipment in Fayetteville, $10,988, and Brothers Implement in Hillsboro, $11,199.99, both of which offered Kubota mowers. The Bedford Tractor bid was for a John Deere.

The mowers currently under use by the system are all John Deere and Daniel Kleindienst, director of environmental services, said that would keep costs down since they already have common parts for that brand and those using the mowers would not have to be retrained on a new one.

Kleindienst also pointed out that if the new mower had to be serviced, the cost in travel and time down would be considerably more if they had to go out of town.

The board also approved a bid for a new computer program for the food service department. The new program will integrate with the current attendance program and be accessible from every site. Parents will be able to pay for lunches online (for a $2-3 transaction fee), as well as see what their children were purchasing for lunch. They can even apply for free and reduced lunches online. The winning bid went to LunchBox-Data Futures at $40,330.

The Terminex bid for pest control was also approved at $14, 628 per year. Of the seven companies competing, Terminex was the only one to offer a bid with no increases in the next three years.

Tom Grott with American Constructors and Davis Stokes Collaborative architect John Davis were on hand to give the board an update on building projects, most of which, they said, were progressing very well. Grott brought good news before the board, financially speaking, about some of the jobs. A lighting project at Central High School was down-scaled, and the money designated was able to be put back in the contingency fund.

"We have the same sub[contractor] at the elementary school, and we'll be able to use those lights over there," said Grott.

The area where the light poles were originally designated was already well lit with lights on the building and original poles, he said.

Overall, said Grott, "we ought to be cruising very well" on the contingency funds. Changes made at Learning Way Elementary also credited the books with $33,255 when certain walls were reduced in width and height.

Bids for a construction project at the elementary school may need to be revised by about $25,000. While looking at one sinkhole in the septic area at Community High School, a TDEC representative found another in the retention area that will need to be sealed. Because the suspected sinkhole is in a water detention area, it could affect water turbidity in area wells, said Davis. There would be no hold up in construction, he added.

"It just needs to be closed out and we have to fill out the forms. We're addressing the issue with the bidders."

The school board passed a new school policy that brings the system in compliance with No Child Left Behind.

"We have always had an unwritten policy if a student was being bullied, we'd grant their request to change to another school," said Ed Gray, Bedford County Schools superintendent. "This policy goes much deeper."

The "Unsafe School Choice" policy is required by both state and federal regulations and is part of NCLB. It details what comprises a "persistently dangerous school," as well as what defines a victim of violent crime at school.

"We don't have an unsafe school, but we have to have a policy," said Gray.

Other policies were revised and approved, including one that added Title I and Title III terminology to the policy governing Family and Community Engagement in Educational Programs; and one policy amended to extend paid military leave from 15 to 20 days.

The school systems' way of handling the summer team camps for girls basketball is also changing, said Gray. There now has to be a contract between the school board and the camp coordinator, SCHS Coach Lynn Burkey. The change, said Gray, was to come into compliance with an opinion from the state attorney general and would eliminate audit issues with the money raised by the camps.

"Those funds have never gone back to the schools," said Gray.

A memorandum of understanding between the Liberty Youth Football League and Liberty School was deferred because there were questions raised about seed money and the role the school's booster club would or would not play in the administration of the funds.

Several vehicles were approved as surplus by the school board and Gray drew chuckles when he said, "I'd like it noted that we do not own 133 vehicles."

That number, he said, was of insurable items, which includes trailers, lawn mowers, bush hogs and more.

The school board also approved new social studies textbooks for the coming school year.