Rising fuel prices might mean big expenses for area schools.

The cost of fueling buses could increase as much as 20 percent this year compared to last year, said Les Shaw, director of Facilities and Operations for DeKalb School District 428.

The school district pays an annual base rate of $100,000 to First Student, a national bus charter service, but they must still pay a fuel surcharge at the end of the school year. Last year, the surcharge was $218,566. A 20 percent increase would mean a fuel surcharge of $262,279.

Kreg Wesley, director of Operations for Sycamore School District 427, said Sycamore schools are definitely feeling the effects of increasing fuel prices as well.

“It’s not just fuel from the pump, either,” Wesley said, referring to bus fuel. “It’s all utilities. We’re really taking a beating.”

Wesley also noted an increase in fuel surcharges for deliveries.

“We may get a delivery that is $30 to $40 dollars, but the surcharge is $10 to $20,” Wesley said. “We’re having to order in bulk and be conservative.”

But there is an upside.

“The beauty of it is, we’ve been very aggressive in energy conservation,” Shaw said. He said DeKalb School District has saved around $318,000 in energy costs by turning off unnecessary lights and becoming more efficient with vehicle use.

“We work hard to make the absolute most of finances we can,” Shaw said.

However, it is not just schools feeling the crunch.

“Our fuel expenses are climbing as well,” said Kimberly Mulcahy, public relations representative for First Student. “We’re seeing our bills go up, and we’re absorbing a portion of the fuel increase.”

First Student is only reimbursed for fuel prices while buses are running routes, so other transport costs are paid by the company.

“One thing to point out, though, is that school buses are very fuel efficient,” Mulcahy said. “For every person that gets on the bus, that’s one less car on the road. People are asking how to be more fuel efficient; park the car and get on a bus.”