Mason families can count on the same bus routes for the 2026-27 school year, even as diesel prices squeeze the district's transportation budget.

Mason City Schools is paying $5.15 per gallon for diesel, up about 35% from the $3.81 it paid in 2025-26, first reported by WLWT on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The district buys in bulk, so its actual cost may be slightly lower than retail. Every 10-cent increase still adds roughly $17,000 to the annual fuel bill.

"We did budget an increase," Public Information Officer Tracey Carson told WLWT. "We expected that costs were going to be a little higher than they were last year. We're not going to reduce routes."

Carson said the district is putting more emphasis on efficient routing and cutting idle time on buses. Mason City Schools operates 127 buses and transports about 12,000 public and private school students, according to the district's transportation department.

The cost pressure extends well beyond Mason. The average price for a gallon of diesel in Ohio hit $6.81 on Sept. 22, up $3.12 from a year earlier, according to AAA data reported by the Dayton Daily News. National diesel prices broke $6 per gallon for the first time on Sept. 11. By Sept. 29, AAA's Ohio diesel average had dipped slightly to $6.70.

Some relief could be on the way. Ohio lawmakers are scheduled to convene a special session Wednesday, Sept. 30, to consider House Bill 1019 and Senate Bill 475, which would suspend the state's 47-cent-per-gallon diesel tax for 90 days at an estimated cost of $726 million from the general revenue fund, WLWT reported. WYSO reported that both bills require gas stations to pass the savings to consumers. Gov. Mike DeWine had not committed to signing the measure as of Monday, Sept. 28.

A 47-cent cut on every gallon of diesel would lower costs for the district's 127-bus fleet, but the special session's outcome remained uncertain heading into Wednesday's vote.