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SF 2365

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 11:36pm

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.

Current Version - as introduced

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A bill for an act
relating to pupil transportation; modifying pupil transportation provisions;
clarifying Department of Education's role in maintaining training programs;
including use of certain lift buses in the category of revenue authorized for
reimbursement; including actual contracted transportation costs as a method
for allocating pupil transportation costs; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008,
sections 123B.88, subdivision 13; 123B.90, subdivision 3; 123B.92, subdivision
5; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 123B.92, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 123B.88, subdivision 13, is amended to
read:


Subd. 13.

Area learning center pupilsnew text begin between buildingsnew text end .

Districts may provide
new text begin between-building new text end bus transportation along school bus routes when space is available, for
pupils attending programs at an area learning center. The transportation is deleted text begin onlydeleted text end permitted
between schools deleted text begin anddeleted text end if it does not increase the district's expenditures for transportation.
The cost of these services shall be considered part of the authorized cost deleted text begin for nonregular
transportation
deleted text end for the purpose of section 123B.92.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 123B.90, subdivision 3, is amended to read:


Subd. 3.

Model training program.

The commissioner shall develop new text begin and maintain new text end a
comprehensive deleted text begin modeldeleted text end new text begin list ofnew text end school bus safety training deleted text begin programdeleted text end new text begin instructional materials
new text end for pupils who ride the bus that includes bus safety curriculum for both classroom and
practical instruction deleted text begin and age-appropriate instructional materialsdeleted text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2010.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 123B.92, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:


Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

For purposes of this section and section 125A.76, the
terms defined in this subdivision have the meanings given to them.

(a) "Actual expenditure per pupil transported in the regular and excess transportation
categories" means the quotient obtained by dividing:

(1) the sum of:

(i) all expenditures for transportation in the regular category, as defined in paragraph
(b), clause (1), and the excess category, as defined in paragraph (b), clause (2), plus

(ii) an amount equal to one year's depreciation on the district's school bus fleet
and mobile units computed on a straight line basis at the rate of 15 percent per year for
districts operating a program under section 124D.128 for grades 1 to 12 for all students in
the district and 12-1/2 percent per year for other districts of the cost of the fleet, plus

(iii) an amount equal to one year's depreciation on the district's type III vehicles, as
defined in section 169.011, subdivision 71, which must be used a majority of the time for
pupil transportation purposes, computed on a straight line basis at the rate of 20 percent
per year of the cost of the type three school buses by:

(2) the number of pupils eligible for transportation in the regular category, as defined
in paragraph (b), clause (1), and the excess category, as defined in paragraph (b), clause (2).

(b) "Transportation category" means a category of transportation service provided to
pupils as follows:

(1) Regular transportation is:

(i) transportation to and from school during the regular school year for resident
elementary pupils residing one mile or more from the public or nonpublic school they
attend, and resident secondary pupils residing two miles or more from the public
or nonpublic school they attend, excluding desegregation transportation and noon
kindergarten transportation; but with respect to transportation of pupils to and from
nonpublic schools, only to the extent permitted by sections 123B.84 to 123B.87;

(ii) transportation of resident pupils to and from language immersion programs;

(iii) transportation of a pupil who is a custodial parent and that pupil's child between
the pupil's home and the child care provider and between the provider and the school, if
the home and provider are within the attendance area of the school;

(iv) transportation to and from or board and lodging in another district, of resident
pupils of a district without a secondary school; and

(v) transportation to and from school during the regular school year required under
subdivision 3 for nonresident elementary pupils when the distance from the attendance
area border to the public school is one mile or more, and for nonresident secondary pupils
when the distance from the attendance area border to the public school is two miles or
more, excluding desegregation transportation and noon kindergarten transportation.

For the purposes of this paragraph, a district may designate a licensed day care
facility, school day care facility, respite care facility, the residence of a relative, or the
residence of a person chosen by the pupil's parent or guardian as the home of a pupil for
part or all of the day, if requested by the pupil's parent or guardian, and if that facility or
residence is within the attendance area of the school the pupil attends.

(2) Excess transportation is:

(i) transportation to and from school during the regular school year for resident
secondary pupils residing at least one mile but less than two miles from the public or
nonpublic school they attend, and transportation to and from school for resident pupils
residing less than one mile from school who are transported because of extraordinary
traffic, drug, or crime hazards; and

(ii) transportation to and from school during the regular school year required under
subdivision 3 for nonresident secondary pupils when the distance from the attendance area
border to the school is at least one mile but less than two miles from the public school
they attend, and for nonresident pupils when the distance from the attendance area border
to the school is less than one mile from the school and who are transported because of
extraordinary traffic, drug, or crime hazards.

(3) Desegregation transportation is transportation within and outside of the district
during the regular school year of pupils to and from schools located outside their normal
attendance areas under a plan for desegregation mandated by the commissioner or under
court order.

(4) "Transportation services for pupils with disabilities" is:

(i) transportation of pupils with disabilities who cannot be transported on a regular
school bus between home or a respite care facility and school;

(ii) necessary transportation of pupils with disabilities from home or from school to
other buildings, including centers such as developmental achievement centers, hospitals,
and treatment centers where special instruction or services required by sections 125A.03
to 125A.24, 125A.26 to 125A.48, and 125A.65 are provided, within or outside the district
where services are provided;

(iii) necessary transportation for resident pupils with disabilities required by sections
125A.12, and 125A.26 to 125A.48;

(iv) board and lodging for pupils with disabilities in a district maintaining special
classes;

(v) transportation from one educational facility to another within the district for
resident pupils enrolled on a shared-time basis in educational programs, and necessary
transportation required by sections 125A.18, and 125A.26 to 125A.48, for resident pupils
with disabilities who are provided special instruction and services on a shared-time basis
or if resident pupils are not transported, the costs of necessary travel between public
and private schools or neutral instructional sites by essential personnel employed by the
district's program for children with a disability;

(vi) transportation for resident pupils with disabilities to and from board and lodging
facilities when the pupil is boarded and lodged for educational purposes; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(vii)new text begin transportation of pupils for a curricular field trip activity on a school bus
equipped with a power lift when the power lift is required by a student's disability or
section 504 plan; and
new text end

new text begin (viii) new text end services described in clauses (i) to deleted text begin (vi)deleted text end new text begin (vii)new text end , when provided for pupils with
disabilities in conjunction with a summer instructional program that relates to the pupil's
individual education plan or in conjunction with a learning year program established
under section 124D.128.

For purposes of computing special education initial aid under section 125A.76,
subdivision 2
, the cost of providing transportation for children with disabilities includes
(A) the additional cost of transporting a homeless student from a temporary nonshelter
home in another district to the school of origin, or a formerly homeless student from a
permanent home in another district to the school of origin but only through the end of the
academic year; and (B) depreciation on district-owned school buses purchased after July 1,
2005, and used primarily for transportation of pupils with disabilities, calculated according
to paragraph (a), clauses (ii) and (iii). Depreciation costs included in the disabled
transportation category must be excluded in calculating the actual expenditure per pupil
transported in the regular and excess transportation categories according to paragraph (a).

(5) "Nonpublic nonregular transportation" is:

(i) transportation from one educational facility to another within the district for
resident pupils enrolled on a shared-time basis in educational programs, excluding
transportation for nonpublic pupils with disabilities under clause (4);

(ii) transportation within district boundaries between a nonpublic school and a
public school or a neutral site for nonpublic school pupils who are provided pupil support
services pursuant to section 123B.44; and

(iii) late transportation home from school or between schools within a district for
nonpublic school pupils involved in after-school activities.

(c) "Mobile unit" means a vehicle or trailer designed to provide facilities for
educational programs and services, including diagnostic testing, guidance and counseling
services, and health services. A mobile unit located off nonpublic school premises is a
neutral site as defined in section 123B.41, subdivision 13.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2011
and later.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 123B.92, subdivision 5, is amended to read:


Subd. 5.

District reports.

(a) Each district must report data to the department as
required by the department to account for transportation expenditures.

(b) Salaries and fringe benefits of district employees whose primary duties are
other than transportation, including central office administrators and staff, building
administrators and staff, teachers, social workers, school nurses, and instructional aides,
must not be included in a district's transportation expenditures, except that a district may
include salaries and benefits according to paragraph (c) for (1) an employee designated
as the district transportation director, (2) an employee providing direct support to the
transportation director, or (3) an employee providing direct transportation services such as
a bus driver or bus aide.

(c) Salaries and fringe benefits of the district employees listed in paragraph (b),
clauses (1), (2), and (3), who work part time in transportation and part time in other areas
must not be included in a district's transportation expenditures unless the district maintains
documentation of the employee's time spent on pupil transportation matters in the form
and manner prescribed by the department.

(d) Pupil transportation expenditures, excluding expenditures for capital outlay,
leased buses, student board and lodging, crossing guards, and aides on buses, must
be allocated among transportation categories based on cost-per-mile, cost-per-student,
cost-per-hour, or cost-per-route, regardless of whether the transportation services are
provided on district-owned or contractor-owned school buses. Expenditures for school
bus driver salaries and fringe benefits may either be directly charged to the appropriate
transportation category or may be allocated among transportation categories based
on cost-per-mile, cost-per-student, cost-per-hour, or cost-per-route. Expenditures
by private contractors or individuals who provide transportation exclusively in one
transportation category must be charged directly to the appropriate transportation category.
Transportation services provided by contractor-owned school bus companies incorporated
under different names but owned by the same individual or group of individuals must be
treated as the same company for cost allocation purposes.

new text begin (e) Notwithstanding paragraph (d), districts contracting for transportation services
are exempt from the standard cost allocation method for authorized and nonauthorized
transportation categories if the district: (1) bids its contracts separately for authorized
and nonauthorized transportation categories and for special transportation separate from
regular and excess transportation; (2) receives bids or quotes from more than one vendor
for these transportation categories; and (3) the district's cost-per-mile, cost-per-hour, or
cost-per-route does not vary more than ten percent among categories, excluding salaries
and fringe benefits of bus aides. If the costs reported by the district for contractor-owned
operations vary by more than ten percent among categories, the department shall require
the district to reallocate its transportation costs, excluding salaries and fringe benefits of
bus aides, among all categories.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal years 2011
and later.
new text end