School Boards Protected from Rising Fuel Prices

The province will protect classrooms from escalating fuel prices.

"Government will provide assistance for rising fuel prices," Education Minister Karen Casey said.

"School boards are in a unique position: they have fixed costs in some areas that are hard to reduce. For example, buses have set routes and schools need to be heated. We do not want rising global oil prices to have a negative impact on the classroom here in Nova Scotia. Therefore, we have taken this action."

Recently, the price of oil has hit record levels in international markets. It has risen more than 30 per cent since February.

School boards are to budget for 2008-09 using the cost per litre from February. If future prices exceed that, government will provide assistance for actual costs because of the higher price, Ms. Casey said.

Ms. Casey spoke to board superintendents via conference call to outline the initiative.

"I told them, with this assistance, we would expect them to limit their staff adjustments to those required because of enrolment changes," she said.

The initiative was welcomed by the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board.

"This is a very positive announcement that will make the budget process easier," said superintendent Noel Hurley. "Rising high fuel prices are, of course, a big cost pressure for us, so I'm grateful the minister has been able to ease it."