School Transportation Reimbursement Formula Amendment Proposal

In a press release April 30, 2012, from Craig Mathers, Superintendent of West Carroll Community Unit School District No. 314, the Illinois State Board of Education is working with legislative leaders to amend the transportation formula for local school districts. The bill has now been attached as Senate Amendment #1 to House Bill 5825.

Key components of the amendment are:

- Eliminates the mandate that districts provide transportation for students.

- Establishes a new reimbursement formula based on the greater benefit between a statewide per mile or average per pupil transported amount, beginning with school year 2012-2013.

- Includes a provision that uses an offset that factors in a district’s local property wealth.

- Contains a two year hold harmless provision that would allow school districts that would otherwise see a cut in transportation reimbursement because of the new formula, to receive at least 50% of its previous reimbursement amount for FY2014 and 25% of that amount in FY2015. Beginning in FY2016, districts would be reimbursed solely based on the new formula.

- Explicitly allows school districts to charge students for transportation to school. Fees must be waived for students eligible for free lunch or breakfast (but not reduced lunch-eligible students).

- Eliminates reimbursement for the depreciation of all vehicles other than yellow school buses.

- Eliminates transportation reimbursement flat grant funding to school districts.

- Increases the permissive transportation tax levy for unit districts from .20% to .24%.

- Continues the reimbursement for transporting pupils through hazardous areas as determined by the Illinois Department of Transportation.