Asynchronous days due to gas prices rising?

In December, gas prices were listed at 2.99 per gallon, in recent months, however, prices have fluctuated to an all-time high. This recent increase has not only impacted many families in America but around the world as well. Ideas for saving gas money have been thrown up into the air, one idea being returning asynchronous days. Asynchronous schooling is a concept many students are familiar with due to the pandemic. Could this possibly benefit students and their families? How do local students feel about this notion?

As of March 31, 2022, the national gas price has risen to a whopping $4.225. In Pennsylvania, the average is $4.304 and in Bucks County, it is $4.303. On top of those prices, Pennsylvania has the highest tax on gas at $0.57 per gallon. It is clear that prices, especially in the community, are incredibly high. Prices are so high that people are traveling to other states to get gas, according to ydr.com. Not only are the wallets of the average citizen suffering, but busing systems as well. Small busing companies are losing money due to price increases that could not have come at a worse time. That time being the spring, where public transportation is utilized quite frequently, with activities such as field trips and sporting events. Even large busing companies are struggling to find the right amount and time to purchase gas. How would asynchronous days help, and would implementing them be even worth it? In 2021, when the pipeline was shut down, schools considered going virtual and canceling activities to decrease the amount of gas consumption. This issue only lasted a week however, increases in gas prices have been going on for months, so switching to asynchronous doesn’t seem as extreme, especially since it’s likely prices will stay increasing for a while.

Let’s say highschools were to implement asynchronous days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students and busing companies would save money on gas since they are not traveling as often. Buses are paid at a daily rate and when schools are closed, STA (Student Transportation of America) doesn’t get paid. This means that if we do hybrid, busing companies will not be paid on the days students are not attending school, so yes while they would be saving on diesel, is it really worth it if buses are not earning as much? A poll was conducted and just over half of the results were in favor of having a hybrid option at Pennridge. Student driver Brielle Yencha (senior) states that it is unnecessary to return to a hybrid schedule due to the high prices. She elaborates by explaining if students cared about gas prices, they would switch to busing or carpooling. When asked if increased gas pricing would be detrimental to students she responded, “No, I feel like a good portion of our grade has their parents pay for their gas and parents wouldn’t want their kids at home when they could be at school.” She concludes her opinion by sharing how difficult hybrid learning and teaching was for students and teachers during COVID. Devin McGowen, another student driver (senior), also opened up about her struggles with online learning and was against the hybrid idea. Brooke Weiss, a high school senior at Pennridge, states gas prices “could be really harmful if people can’t afford to pay for it anymore”. She also believes that having two asynchronous days along with three days in school would be a good temporary balance for students.

There are other ways to reduce gas prices like taking public transportation and making use of an electric car, however, these methods may not work for everyone’s schedule and can be quite expensive. We are currently unaware how long this consistent increase will last, no matter, the continuous increase will start to financially impact students and families after a sustained period of time. Asynchronous school days may be a beneficial impact that could greatly help many families and those who are already struggling financially.