KINGSTON — For the 18th year in a row, North Kitsap’s busses have received an outstanding designation for maintenance and upkeep through the Washington State Patrol’s yearly school bus safety summer inspection.

That means more than 95 percent of the fleet of 85 school busses spinning students through NK’s cement web of roadways are up to state standards.

However, also for the third year in a row, North Kitsap’s busses have converted more of its budget into exhaust than the year before.

“One of the most important things to know about the way that we are funded is it’s based on ridership,” NKSD director of transportation Ron Lee said. “We have one count week when the state counts all of our riders … then they use that number in a formula to determine how much they will fund us.”

Through the state formula, the NKSD receives roughly $41 per rider (or weighted unit), according to 2005 numbers from the state Office of the Supt. of Public Instruction Web site.

However, the state determines how many average riders use NKSD’s busses during just one week in September. For the upcoming school year, the state will be counting NKSD’s bus ridership from Sept. 18-22, therefore any student who routinely rides the bus to school at any time is encouraged to ride during that week, Lee noted.

“It’s very important for students to ride the bus that week,” he said. “Sad part about it is, it’s still in September, and kids are still wanting to ride their bikes to school.”

In recent years, the district has pulled its fiscal belt tighter around its budgetary waistline. The transportation department has done the same, but as fuel prices inch higher, Lee and the bus barn crew come closer to the edge of minimizing service.

“We’ve increased our fuel budget twice, this year we increased it again and I am just hoping,” Lee said, noting the $394,547 budgeted for fuel for the upcoming year. “If (the fuel price) stays where it’s at right now, we’ll probably be pretty close, but if they start climbing again, then we’ll have to take a good look at what we can provide.”

For now, the district will still be offering its full service of routes — which can be found on the district Web site at www.nksd.wednet.edu — and its drivers will be steering busses in top-notch condition.

Last week, WSP officials came to town for its yearly summer school bus safety inspection and the NKSD, with more than 95 percent of its fleet up to standard, received an “outstanding” designation preluding the start of the school year.

“That’s where we are at, and we’ve been there since 1988,” Lee said of the designation.

Twice a year, inspectors with the WSP review the condition of Washington’s school district busses, checking vitals — such as brakes, exhaust and fuel system — and beyond.

In addition to those checkups, the NKSD also performs full inspection and maintenance services on its busses throughout the year, Lee said.

“It’s an ongoing process … every 1,000 miles, every one of our busses (is) pulled off of their route and safety inspected top to bottom,” he said, noting work done by the district’s mechanics. “Then they service them.”

Through that process most glitches or repairs needed will be identified, however, drivers will also fill out repair orders to have a bus fixed as needed, Lee said.