Community schools have paid off for the Vicksburg Warren School District when it comes to spending on fuel for buses.

As the district’s trustees meet tonight to explain how much money is needed for the 2006-2007 fiscal year beginning July 1, fuel figures from this year will bring some relief.

&#8220Before community schools, we were using about 255,000 gallons of diesel a year. This year, we’ll use about 190,000,” said James Price, superintendent of the 9,000-student district. &#8220That’s a 24 percent reduction in fuel consumption.”

From 1989 until last fall, students had been assigned to the district’s elementaries under a choice-based plan. Price backed community zoning, under which students attend classes in facilities closest to their homes, when he became superintendent three years ago.

The idea was to nurture more community identity with schools, he said, but using fewer buses and fewer drivers on shorter routes has been a pleasant byproduct.

The district has gone from rolling 125 buses on average to 106.

For this year, the district has been following a record $70.8 million spending plan which reflects an infusion of state money to pay for 8 percent raises – the last in a five-year plan – for teachers.

For the new year, there will be additional funds from state sources, but not enough to meet funding formulas established by lawmakers in 1997. Still, Price said, there’s no indication trustees will be seeking an increase in the local tax levy to support the consolidated district. A slight increase was enacted for this year.

After spending details are outlined at a public hearing tonight, the board meets for regular business. Final approval of the budget is expected in a vote to be taken June 29.

Also regarding buses, for nearly 15 years, the district has used a computer program called Edulog to chart routes. But, Price said, the problem was that the program would place every student within the district on a route instead of excluding the ones who drove themselves or rode with parents.

&#8220On the first day of school, we’d have drivers who would run a route that was supposed to have 50 kids on it and only six would get on,” Price said.

Anywhere from 20 to 100 students change addresses each day during the school year, and almost 2,000 move during the summer, botching the Edulog system results, Price said.

&#8220Parents don’t always report their new addresses like they should, and the proof of residence is not always accurate because kids might be living with grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends,” he said.

&#8220I realized last year about 25 percent of our buses were under capacity with fewer than 10 students on them during their regular routes,” he said. &#8220That had to be fixed.”

So after six months of research into exactly who was riding the buses, Price was able to eliminate about 18 buses from regular routes by doubling up drivers’ routes and leveling out the bus populations to about 60 elementary students and 45 secondary students per bus.

Price said he’s in the process of working first hand with the transportation department to craft routes.

&#8220We should be ready when the first day of school comes,” he said.

The school district has an all-diesel fleet. Fuel for the buses is exempt from state and federal taxes, but still subject to market increases.