{
  "id": 12187323,
  "title": "The Iran war is hitting America's school buses — and kids are paying the price",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/the-iran-war-is-hitting-americas-school-buses-and-kids-are-paying-the",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T15:59:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/10/05/iran-war-diesel-fuel-costs-school-bus"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Millions of American children begin their school day on diesel-powered buses, driven by staff members. However, the ongoing Iran War is causing diesel prices to rise, exacerbating an already existing bus driver shortage. This puts additional strain on school districts, which must now grapple with both higher transportation costs and a lack of qualified drivers. The National Association for Pupil Transportation's Peter Mannella explains that school buses are considered a non-instructional expense for districts, prompting administrators to consider cutting transportation costs to protect spending on other areas such as teachers, aides, and special education programs. To cope with the rising costs and driver shortage, districts have begun to implement various cost-cutting measures, including consolidating routes, enforcing anti-idling rules, reducing optional trips, limiting fuel purchases, and even requiring some students to walk longer distances to their bus stops. These changes have resulted in later bus arrivals and missed breakfasts for some students, as well as more parents driving their children to school activities. For example, Cherry Creek Public Schools in Colorado is facing a shortage of about 40 bus drivers, causing some routes to be delayed by 10 to 15 minutes and forcing the district to budget an additional $300,000 for fuel this year, bringing the total expected spend to $2 million to $2.3 million. The driver shortage is not solely due to wage issues, as former school bus driver Nick Martini points out that drivers must manage children and traffic while also meeting extensive training, licensing, and safety requirements. Additionally, split shifts can keep drivers tied up for 10 to 12 hours, often for less pay, and districts are competing with delivery and logistics companies for the same workers. Rural districts are particularly affected by these issues, as they may have to provide longer bus routes for students living further from school and struggle to attract drivers at competitive pay rates. The Biden administration's efforts to fund the electrification of school bus fleets have not been fully realized, as some programs have slowed or ended, leaving electric buses as a less viable solution for many districts due to factors such as narrow roads, small bridges, extreme temperatures, and a lack of trained technicians. Despite these challenges, Mannella remains optimistic, stating that districts are problem solvers and will continue to find ways to adapt to the changing circumstances.",
  "summary": "For millions of children, the school day starts on a diesel-powered bus with a driver behind the wheel. Now, school districts are struggling to afford both. Why it matters: The Iran War is sending diesel costs higher just as districts are grappling with a yearslong bus driver shortage — a double whammy that can ripple into missed breakfasts, late classes and fewer school activities. What they're…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}