Pupil Transportation Funding.  The state's statutory program of basic education includes transportation to and from school for eligible students, including transportation of students for special education services and between schools and learning centers.

To provide transportation allocations to school districts the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) uses the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS), which is a regression formula that uses prior year expenditures, student passenger counts, and district characteristics to calculate the expected costs of to and from transportation.  The STARS formula result is then compared to the district's allowable transportation expenditures from the prior year.  The school district receives the lesser of the two calculated amounts plus any compensation adjustments provided in the operating budget.

The transportation formula also provides an allocation for transporting students in district-owned passenger cars using the private vehicle reimbursement rate if a school district deems it advisable to use such vehicles after the school district board of directors has considered the safety of the students being transported and the economy of utilizing a car in lieu of a school bus. Students transported in district-owned passenger cars must be included in basic and special passenger counts.

The transportation distribution formula is for allocation purposes only and does not mandate specific levels of pupil transportation services by local districts.

Reporting Transportation Data. School districts must submit transportation reports to OSPI three times each year as a condition of receiving transportation funding. These reports must include the following data:

• the number of eligible students transported to and from school, along with identification of stop locations and school locations;
• the number of miles driven for pupil transportation services the previous school year; and
• other operational data and descriptions as required by OSPI to determine the allocation requirements for each school district.

The transportation distribution formula may not mandate the type of vehicle to be used for pupil transportation. School districts are encouraged to use the vehicle type deemed by the district to be the safest and most cost-effective manner of transporting its students, including using school buses and vans, and may use transportation allocations for this purpose.

District-owned passenger cars used in lieu of school buses must be included in the overall determination of the district's annual student transportation allocation rather than generating reimbursement at the private vehicle reimbursement rate.

Students transported in district-owned passenger cars must be included when calculating average distance to school and number of locations served. When reporting the number of miles driven for pupil transportation services in the prior school year, school districts must disaggregate data by vehicle type.

PRO: This is not a complete solution to all transportation challenges but it will give districts more flexibility in how they transport their children. Buses are sometimes not the most efficient or best way to transport students, and sometimes they are not available. Specialized vans are used to pick up wheelchair bound students in areas where buses cannot go. Allowing funding for these vehicles is a logical and creative solution to work through the chronic problem of school bus driver shortages. WSP inspects district-owned vehicles every year and they are regularly maintained. Drivers must have a safe driving record. 10-15 years ago there were a lot of issues with 16-passenger vans but those have mostly been resolved. These vans should be added to the depreciation schedule so that school districts can receive funding for replacements rather than using levy dollars, as vans currently cost approximately $87,000.
 
OTHER: The safety of students is a critical component and must be considered to a greater degree than convenience or efficiency. Buses are the safest form of transportation. Using a van could result in more students being killed or injured. There was a recent accident where a bus was T-boned. It flipped, slid, and the children were taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries were deemed serious. It is likely that those injuries would be much more serious in a van.

PRO:   This bill came out a conversation with my school district.  On the way to work I encounter several school buses with only a couple of children on board.  This bill is intended to allow school districts to pick the vehicle they use to transport youth as long as it's safe and fits the need.  We are a small district in southeast Washington and four out of five of our students are bussed to school each day. Our busses drive a combined 650 miles per day.  Allowing school districts to receive funding for transporting students in vehicles that meet rigorous WSP standards is wise.  It's a  creative way to get around school bus driver shortages.  I would suggest an amendment that would allow depreciation for a vehicle chosen by a school district.
 
OTHER:  PSEA does not believe this bill would be the best measure for addressing limited resources.  According to the NTSB, school buses are the safest way to transport kids.  PSEA recommends an alternative vehicle is SB 5873, currently before this committee.  It takes a more comprehensive approach.