During Tuesday night's Bedford County School Board of Education meeting, County finance director Robert Daniel said there was nothing “unusual” to report for the February numbers—except fuel prices.

“We’re trying to get a handle on how much gas and diesel we will be using for the end of the year, so we will check that and make a budget amendment for the end of the year,” Daniel said.

Daniel said he is trying to get a prediction of the gallons used through the end of the year. But when asked by board member Glenn Forsee asked how bad the situation is, Daniel replied, it’s “about double what we were paying for this time last year.”

Crude oil settled at $110.46 per barrel at the beginning of March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

According to Daniel, fuel is purchased from an independent contractor. The County does not have to pay what an individual pays for fuel since they are exempt from paying sales tax and the state fuel tax when purchasing fuel. “So, it is quite a bit cheaper,” he said.

Still, according to January financial reports, the General-Purpose School fund accounts used 144.55 percent of its budget for diesel. The budget was $12,500 but over $18,000 was used.

Possible options

Daniel said one potential option that could save the County money is if they bought their own tanks. This would make bidding fuel more competitive, therefore saving money over time.

Board member John Boutwell suggested that several years from now, the school system could purchase electric buses.

“If you think about it, you drive the bus in the morning, then you put it on the charge, and it will be ready to go in the afternoon,” Boutwell said. “It’s just a thought.”

School Board Chairman Michael Cook added that many in the trucking industry have looked into an all-electric truck fleet. “It’s really impressive.”

School superintendent Tammy Garrett mentioned as well that a Tennessee school system recently purchased an all-electric bus. Washington County Schools debuted Tennessee’s first all-electric school bus in June of 2021. According to the East Tennessee’s school report, the bus can

travel 120 miles on a single charge. They were given $220,000 from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to purchase the bus and its charging station.

Board member Diane Neeley said that many bus drivers park their buses at their residences, which would mean charging stations would have to be added throughout the County. “And the bus garage does not have room to accommodate all our buses,” she added.

Daniel said the County was approached a couple years ago by the Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuel Coalition to use propane, which Daniel said could be another money-saving option. Propane tanks are typically attached to the top of a cab of a truck and used as an alternate fuel method.

Relief for summer school

“The other part that comes into play is we are waiting on...the state, what they will give us for summer school because that will be a big thing. Hopefully, we will get reimbursed for summer traveling,” Garrett said.

According to BCS federal programs director Chad Fletcher, the state passed a law to fund summer camps across the state. They receive funding for three items, including instructional personnel (I.e., teachers and educational assistants), supplies, and transportation. Fletcher said he expects the state allocation funding to arrive in the next couple of days for the summer.