The Lee&#x2019;s Summit R-7 School District, already slammed in the pocketbook from the lingering economic downturn, is preparing for another hit &#x2013; from rising fuel prices.</p><p>Linda Thompson, director of transportation for the district, said R-7 budgeted $775,000 for the diesel fuel required to transport students more than 2 million miles this school year. To date, however, the district has already spent $575,000 on diesel. And based on current projections, Thompson is expecting to spend another $342,000 on diesel through June.</p><p>All that adds up to a $142,000 budget shortfall, which the transportation department will deal with, in part, by postponing bus repairs.</p><p>&#x201C;We also look at reducing whatever mileage we can reduce,&#x201D; Thompson said.</p><p>No children will be denied bus service during the current school year, she emphasized. However, future route cutbacks might have to be looked at if prices continue to rise.</p><p>&#x201C;Anytime there are shortfalls of that amount in my budget, it&#x2019;s going to impact children,&#x201D; Thompson said.</p><p>Diesel fuel prices currently aren&#x2019;t spiking as much as gasoline prices. Thompson said the district is currently spending only about 10 percent more for diesel than it did at the same time last year.</p><p>&#x201C;But at the start of the school year, it got up to 42 percent higher than the same time last year,&#x201D; she said.</p><p>Year to date, Thompson added, the district has spent an average of $3.26 per gallon, compared to an average of $2.90 a gallon last year.</p><p>The last 15,000-gallon load of diesel purchased by the district cost $3.32 a gallon. </p><p>But that was for more expensive blended fuel, &#x201C;which we purchase in the winter to make sure the buses will start,&#x201D; Thompson said.</p><p>&#x201C;It hasn&#x2019;t been needed this year,&#x201D; she added. &#x201C;But who would have known&#x201D; it would be such a mild winter.</p><p>Typically, the regular blend of diesel fuel that powers district school buses in warmer weather is cheaper than the blended fuel. But the district is projecting its per-gallon cost for the rest of the year to average $3.75.</p><p>Meanwhile, the national average for regular unleaded gasoline stands at $3.57, up 40 cents from the year-ago average. And if gas prices blast past $4 and head toward $5, as many expect, Thompson will be facing another problem: staff shortages.</p><p>More than 25 percent of the district&#x2019;s transportation employees live outside the district, and Thompson said some of them are beginning to talk about not returning next year.</p><p>Unlike most employees, who make only one roundtrip to work and back home each day, the district&#x2019;s bus drivers make one roundtrip for their morning route and another for their afternoon route.</p><p>&#x201C;If gas hits $5 a gallon like they&#x2019;re saying, I anticipate a staff shortage,&#x201D; Thompson said.