MADISON, Wis. — Fuel prices in Wisconsin continue to rise and diesel prices have reached a new record high this week as a result of GOP candidate for governor Tom Tiffany’s rubber stamp of the illegal war in Iran. In late April, farmers saw a devastating spike in fertilizer costs as a major nitrogen-based fertilizer shot up to nearly $700 per ton. Meanwhile, school districts are spending tens of thousands more on fuel for buses, cutting into already-strained budgets and reducing spending on educational opportunities. This adds to the pain farmers have already felt from Trump and Tiffany’s tariff taxes, which led to a 700% increase in farming bankruptcies in Wisconsin in 2025. 

WBAY: Wisconsin sets new record for average price on diesel

  • The highest price for a gallon of diesel fuel was set Monday, surpassing the previous record set in June 2022. According to AAA Wisconsin, the average price for a gallon of diesel is $5.66. One year ago, the price for diesel was $3.20. 
     
  • The previous record was set June 25, 2022, when diesel hit an average price in Wisconsin of $5.52. Local diesel price records were set Monday in Appleton ($5.77), Fond du Lac ($5.56), Green Bay ($5.84), Oshkosh ($5.76) and Sheboygan ($5.76). Prices are rounded to the nearest cent.

WPR: Steep fertilizer and fuel prices could squeeze US farmers for months to come, economists warn

  • The Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed due to the war in Iran. That’s driven up the prices of key agricultural necessities, which could remain high into next year […] The price of key agricultural necessities such as diesel and nitrogen fertilizer has soared since the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade passageway, has largely been choked off amid the war in Iran. 
  • The price of urea, a major nitrogen-based fertilizer, shot up to nearly $700 per ton in late April from $455 per ton on Feb. 27, the day before the war in Iran broke out. On-highway diesel prices clocked around $5.35 a gallon in late April, a hike from the $3.81 a gallon reported the week the war began. 
  • A recent survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation found that about 70 percent of farmers nationwide who responded report they are unable to afford all the fertilizer they need. 

WPR: Rising fuel costs slamming already cash-strapped Wisconsin school districts

  • Gasoline and diesel costs thousands more than what schools budgeted for. 
  • In February, fuel cost Racine Unified $56,840. In March, that cost jumped to $96,991.
  • Average overall fuel prices for the Madison district rose from $3.13 per gallon in February to $5.27 in March, a roughly 68 percent increase, which drove a 44 percent increase in total fuel cost, Folger said. “That translated to an increase of several thousand dollars in March, despite lower usage,” Folger said. 
  • Gilman School District Superintendent Wally Leipart said the increase in fuel costs could almost pay for a new classroom teacher. […] “We’re paying about $33,000 more than we contracted,” Leipart said. “That is about 70 percent of a starting teacher’s salary.” Leipart said spending an additional $33,000 beyond the budget means fewer classroom supplies, possible changes to the summer school program and possibly cutting field trips.