Denver Public School leaders didn’t plan for two hurricanes.
To compensate for price hikes in natural gas and gasoline – both of which were partly the result of the hurricanes that hammered the Gulf Coast – Superintendent Michael Bennet and the school board Thursday night had to find an additional $5.5 million to heat schools and run buses this school year.
Out of that money, $4.7 million will go to cover natural gas costs.
“We’re dealing with the jolt that everyone is facing,” said Mark Stevens, DPS spokesman. “At this point, nothing will change for kids.”
DPS planned for price increases – $250,000 for gasoline and about $300,000 for natural gas – but that wasn’t enough, said Velma Rose, the district’s chief financial officer.
Bennet used one-time funding to bridge the gap, with $2.8 million from property taxes and $2.7 million from savings set aside from last year.
But for the next school year’s budget, the district will have to find a permanent source to cover these new costs.
Board member Theresa Pena said the district should work on its revenue, which means drawing in more students. Each student results in about $6,600 in funding to the district.
“It’s not good to have surprises like this,” Pena said. “You have to figure out the difference.”
The transportation fuel budget was at $1 million before the latest price hikes.
Staff writer Allison Sherry can be reached at 303-820-1377 or asherry@denverpost.com.
