JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (May 13, 2008) — Increased fuel costs combined with flat funding may leave Missouri schools around $83 million shy of the state funding they’re allowed, under a $22.4 billion House-approved budget.

John Davies, transportation director for Independence School District, located just east of Kansas City, said he’s getting less than 50 percent of the allowable reimbursement. This year, due to diesel costs that are $1.30 per gallon more than the amount he originally estimated, his district has had to add $300,000 to continue providing busing to approximately 9,000 daily riders for the rest of the school year.

According to state transportation director Tom Quinn, districts need around $250 million to have 75 percent of their transportation costs reimbursed by the state. Under the new budget they’ll get about $167 million. While the legislature increased transportation funding in the previous budgets, the category gets no increase in this year’s budget.

Quinn said he saw some hope in a new funding formula that will add some $120 million to the general education fund over the next seven years. Districts could use these funds to pay for school transportation operational costs not covered by state transportation reimbursement, Quinn said.

If fuel prices rise as much as they did last year without an accompanying funding increase, Davies may have look at cutting activity trips and increasing walking distances.

"The fuel thing is going to make some real hard decisions about who we transport," he added.

Gov. Matt Blunt has until June 30 to sign the budget.