Z-824                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 4143

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senator Gaspard; by Superintendent of Public Instruction request

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to student transportation allocations; and amending RCW 28A.41.520 and 28A.41.525.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 4, chapter 265, Laws of 1981 as last amended by section 5, chapter 61, Laws of 1983 1st ex. sess. and RCW 28A.41.520 are each amended to read as follows:

          Each district's annual student transportation allocation shall be based on differential rates determined by the superintendent of public instruction in the following manner:

          (1) Except for allocations for individual arrangements as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the superintendent shall annually calculate a standard student mile allocation rate for determining the transportation allocation for ((those)) services provided for in RCW 28A.41.505.  "Standard student mile allocation rate," as used in this chapter, means the per mile allocation rate for transporting an eligible student.  The standard student mile allocation rate may be adjusted to include such additional differential factors as distance; restricted passenger load; ((circumstances that require use of special types of transportation vehicles;)) handicapped student load; and small fleet maintenance.

          (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall annually calculate allocation rates for determining the transportation allocation for approved individual arrangements pursuant to RCW 28A.24.100 for services provided for in RCW 28A.41.505.

(3) Prior to June 1st of each year the superintendent shall submit to the office of financial management, and the committees on education and ways and means of the senate and house of representatives a report outlining the methodology and rationale used in determining the ((student mile)) allocation rates to be used the following year.

        Sec. 2.  Section 5, chapter 265, Laws of 1981 as last amended by section 6, chapter 61, Laws of 1983 1st ex. sess. and RCW 28A.41.525 are each amended to read as follows:

          The superintendent shall notify districts of their student transportation allocation before ((December)) January 15th.  If the number of eligible students in a school district within a differential rate changes ten percent or more from the October report, and the change is maintained for a period of twenty consecutive school days or more, the district may submit revised eligible student data to the superintendent of public instruction.  The superintendent shall, to the extent funds are available, recalculate the district's allocation for the transportation of pupils to and from school.

          The superintendent shall make the student transportation allocation in accordance with the apportionment payment schedule in RCW 28A.48.010, as now or hereafter amended.  Such allocation payments may be based on estimated amounts for payments to be made in September, October, November, ((and)) December, and January.  ((For the 1982-83 school year, no school district shall receive a reduction or increase in funds of over three percent of what it received the previous year as adjusted to its proportional share of funds appropriated by the legislature for 1982-83 transportation services.))