Some Northwest Missouri schoolchildren will have longer bus rides, fewer field trips and if worse comes to worst, the loss of a bus ride to and from school.

Diesel fuel prices have nearly doubled in the past year. As a result, the price of running school buses has skyrocketed, leaving schools and families with undesired changes.

"It is a crisis," said Paula Larison, branch manager of the Durham School Services bus company in Savannah, Mo.

The Savannah School District, which contracts with Durham, will cut two of its bus routes, meaning buses will pick up some students 10 minutes earlier than usual in the morning and drop off some students 10 minutes later after school.

Superintendent Don Lawrence said other transportation cuts include cutting back on buses for sporting events. For example, students will no longer be able to catch a bus after a junior varsity game if they want to skip a later, varsity game. Instead, all students will be in for long nights.

From last year's budget to the current budget, Savannah's fuel costs increased from $175,000 to $245,000. The changes will save $50,000.

Without significant increases in revenue, the district is making the cuts to break even, Mr. Lawrence said.

"We're all going to have to make modifications and adaptations given the current circumstances," he said.

The St. Joseph School District's budget has room for the fuel price increases, so no bus changes are planned.

Linda Bishop, manager of First Student (formerly Laidlaw Transit) in St. Joseph, said most of the smaller districts she works with are looking for ways to cut back on noncritical busing, such as field trips.

Debra Clink, school transportation consultant with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said that some districts might consider dropping bus service to students who live closest to school. State law requires busing service for students who live at least 3.5 miles from school, and individual districts decide whether to bus those living less than 3.5 miles from school.

Fuel prices have increased, yet the state legislature-approved fuel reimbursement to school districts has remained steady. So as prices have risen, districts have had to cover a larger percentage of their costs.

The situation results in tough district decisions.

"There is no safer means of transportation than a yellow school bus, so districts take it very seriously when considering something that adversely affects a kid getting on a yellow school bus," Ms. Clink said.

Nancy Hull can be reached

at nancyhull@npgco.com