If it was not the worst budget cycle in decades, it was one of the worst for school district administrators trying to juggle union-negotiated salary increases, higher fuel and food prices, and federal mandates with less money, district leaders and education experts say. While most districts have increased budgets for the 2008-2009 school year over last year, the increases do not meet the higher costs of fuel, insurance and food, according to the American Association of School Administrators' (AASA) public policy department members. Few districts will see decreased budgets this year, below the 2007-2008 school year, but if the budget includes fewer funds from the state or local sources, districts still have to make cuts. And if fuel and food costs are higher than budgeted, they have to make more cuts. It is a perfect storm of conditions for districts in part because of the collapse of homeowners' loans and the nation's mortgage fiasco, which lower local property revenues that help fund school district budgets; state money reductions in part due to lower sales tax revenue because consumer spending is low; and districts' own rising costs for fuel and food, according to Daniel Domenech, AASA executive director. This article discusses creative ways that some K-12 districts have taken in order to cut and stretch their budget dollars.