Skyrocketing diesel prices are eating into Manteca Unified School District’s $357 million general fund budget.

The district — that buses 2,398 students to and from school each day — in April spent 79 percent more on diesel despite only an 8 percent increase in usage.

It is the result of California diesel prices soaring 65.8 percent per gallon since April 2025 compared to 26 percent for gasoline.

“Those fuel costs create an intermediate and ongoing financial strain,” noted Assistant Superintendent Victoria Brunn. “Transportation is a fixed necessity, as buses must operate regardless of fuel prices. As a result, the district must absorb these increased cists within an already constrained budget.”

Manteca Unified uses 118,690 gallons of diesel annually.

It operates 75 school buses and maintains 198 vehicles overall.

An April 2025 to April 2026 snapshot shows MUSD used:

*10,720 gallons of diesel for the month a year ago compared to 11,580 gallons this year. The tab went from $36,243 to $64,980. If there is no relief, the annual diesel bill will easily top $650,000.

*6,955 gallons of gasoline for the month a year ago compared to 7,078 gallons in April 2026. The April outlay went from $25,528 to $30,997. The higher cost of both diesel gas means the district could easily surpass the $1 million mark for fuel costs over the course of a year.

The State of California does not reimburse local school districts general student transportation costs. Sacramento, though, mandates busing for homeless students and those enrolled in special education.

To deal with the cost surge in the short range, the district Transportation Department will implement Transfinder, a new routing software, for the upcoming school year to ensure routes are as logistically efficient as possible.

District leaders also stressed there has been no increase in the rates charged to school sites for field trip mileage.

Manteca Unified is also exploring ways to identify possible opportunities within the health department, nutrition education, maintenance, and such to reduce fuel costs.

The district, for more than 12 years, has had a policy in place where students are not bused of they are within 1.25 walking miles of an elementary campus and 2.5 miles of a high school campus.

Getting to school can be a challenge for students — especially those in rural areas.

By providing transportation for students farther from campuses, it helps assure their attendance if parents are unable to drive students to school due to work schedules or availability of vehicles.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com