Student transp. allocation

AN ACT Relating to modifying the student transportation 1
allocation to accommodate multiple vehicle types for transporting 2
students; and amending RCW 28A.160.150, 28A.160.170, 28A.160.180, 3
28A.160.195, and 28A.160.210. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.160.150 and 2009 c 548 s 304 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
Funds allocated for transportation costs, except for funds 8
provided for transportation and transportation services to and from 9
school shall be in addition to the basic education allocation. The 10
distribution formula developed in RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.180 11
shall be for allocation purposes only and shall not be construed as 12
mandating specific levels of pupil transportation services by local 13
districts nor the type of vehicle to be used for pupil 14
transportation. School districts are encouraged to use the vehicle 15
type deemed by a district to be the safest and most cost-effective 16
manner of transporting its students, including using school buses and 17
vans, and may use the student transportation allocation accordingly . 18
Operating costs as determined under RCW 28A.160.150 through 19
28A.160.180 shall be funded at ((one hundred )) 100 percent or as 20
close thereto as reasonably possible for transportation of an 21
S-0180.1
SENATE BILL 5009
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Braun, Wellman, Bateman, Christian, Conway, Cortes,
Dozier, Gildon, Harris, King, Krishnadasan, Lovelett, Nobles,
Schoesler, Shewmake, Short, Slatter, Wagoner, Warnick, and J. Wilson
Prefiled 12/03/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5009
eligible student to and from school as defined in RCW 28A.160.160(3). 1
In addition, funding shall be provided for transportation services 2
for students living within the walk area as determined under RCW 3
28A.160.160(5). 4
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.160.170 and 2021 c 234 s 3 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
Each district shall submit three times each year to the 7
superintendent of public instruction during October, February, and 8
May of each year a report containing the following:9
(1)(a) The number of eligible students transported to and from 10
school as provided for in RCW 28A.160.150, along with identification 11
of stop locations and school locations, and (b) the number of miles 12
driven per vehicle type for pupil transportation services as 13
authorized in RCW 28A.160.150 the previous school year; and14
(2) Other operational data and descriptions as required by the 15
superintendent to determine allocation requirements for each 16
district. The superintendent shall require that districts separate 17
the costs of operating the program for the transportation of eligible 18
students to and from school as defined by RCW 28A.160.160(3), non-to-19
and-from-school pupil transportation costs, and costs to provide 20
expanded services under RCW 28A.160.185(1) in the annual financial 21
statement. The cost, quantity, and type of all fuel purchased by 22
school districts for use in to-and-from-school transportation shall 23
be included in the annual financial statement. 24
Each district shall submit the information required in this 25
section on a timely basis as a condition of the continuing receipt of 26
school transportation moneys. 27
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.160.180 and 2009 c 548 s 307 are each amended to 28
read as follows: 29
Each district's annual student transportation allocation shall be 30
determined by the superintendent of public instruction in the 31
following manner: 32
(1) The superintendent shall annually calculate the 33
transportation allocation for those services provided for in RCW 34
28A.160.150, inclusive of all vehicle types used . The allocation 35
formula may be adjusted to include such additional differential 36
factors as basic and special passenger counts as defined by the 37
p. 2 SB 5009
superintendent of public instruction, average distance to school, and 1
number of locations served. 2
(2) The allocation shall be based on a regression analysis of the 3
number of basic and special students transported and as many other 4
site characteristics that are identified as being statistically 5
significant. 6
(3) The transportation allocation for transporting students in 7
district-owned passenger cars, as defined in RCW 46.04.382, pursuant 8
to RCW 28A.160.010 for services provided for in RCW 28A.160.150 if a 9
school district deems it advisable to use such vehicles after the 10
school district board of directors has considered the safety of the 11
students being transported as well as the economy of utilizing a 12
district-owned passenger car in lieu of a school bus ((is the private 13
vehicle reimbursement rate in effect on September 1st of each school 14
year)) must be included in the overall determination of the 15
district's annual student transportation allocation . Students 16
transported in district-owned passenger cars must be included in the 17
corresponding basic or special passenger counts , average distance to 18
school, and number of locations served. 19
(4) Prior to June 1st of each year the superintendent shall 20
submit to the office of financial management, and the education and 21
fiscal committees of the legislature, a report outlining the 22
methodology and rationale used in determining the statistical 23
coefficients for each site characteristic used to determine the 24
allocation for the following year. 25
Sec. 4. RCW 28A.160.195 and 2024 c 345 s 4 are each amended to 26
read as follows: 27
(1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation 28
with the regional transportation coordinators of the educational 29
service districts, shall establish a minimum number of ((school bus)) 30
student transportation vehicle categories considering the capacity 31
and type of vehicles required by school districts in Washington. The 32
superintendent, in consultation with the regional transportation 33
coordinators of the educational service districts, shall establish 34
competitive specifications for each category of ((school bus )) 35
vehicle. The categories shall be developed to produce minimum long-36
range operating costs, including costs of equipment and all costs in 37
operating the vehicles. The competitive specifications shall meet 38
federal motor vehicle safety standards, minimum state specifications 39
p. 3 SB 5009
as established by rule by the superintendent, and supported options 1
as determined by the superintendent in consultation with the regional 2
transportation coordinators of the educational service districts. The 3
superintendent may solicit and accept price quotes for a rear-engine 4
category school bus that shall be reimbursed at the price of the 5
corresponding front engine category. 6
(2) After establishing ((school bus )) vehicle categories and 7
competitive specifications, the superintendent of public instruction 8
shall solicit competitive price quotes for base ((buses)) vehicles 9
from ((school bus )) dealers to be in effect for one year and shall 10
establish a list of all accepted price quotes in each category 11
obtained under this subsection. The superintendent shall also solicit 12
price quotes for optional features and equipment. 13
(3)(a) The superintendent shall base the level of reimbursement 14
to school districts and educational service districts for ((school 15
buses)) vehicles on the lowest quote for the base ((bus)) vehicle in 16
each category. School districts and educational service districts 17
shall be reimbursed for ((buses)) vehicles purchased only through a 18
lowest-price competitive bid process conducted under RCW 28A.335.190 19
or through the state bid process established by this section.20
(b) Once the total cost of ownership of zero emission school 21
buses is at or below the total cost of ownership of diesel school 22
buses, as determined under the formulas adopted by rule pursuant to 23
RCW 28A.160.260, school districts may only receive reimbursement for 24
the purchase of zero emission school buses, unless the district has 25
been granted an exception under RCW 28A.160.260(3). For the purposes 26
of this subsection, "zero emission school bus" means a school bus 27
that produces zero exhaust emission of any air pollutant and any 28
greenhouse gas other than water vapor. This subsection (3)(b) does 29
not apply to passenger vans used in lieu of school buses.30
(4) Notwithstanding RCW 28A.335.190, school districts and 31
educational service districts may purchase at the quoted price 32
directly from any dealer who is on the list established under 33
subsection (2) of this section. School districts and educational 34
service districts may make their own selections for ((school buses)) 35
vehicles, but shall be reimbursed at the rates determined under 36
subsection (3) of this section and RCW 28A.160.200. District-selected 37
options shall not be reimbursed by the state. 38
p. 4 SB 5009
(5) This section does not prohibit school districts or 1
educational service districts from conducting their own competitive 2
bid process. 3
(6) As used in this section, "student transportation vehicle" and 4
"vehicle" mean a school bus or passenger van used in lieu of a school 5
bus.6
(7) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules 7
under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement this section. 8
Sec. 5. RCW 28A.160.210 and 2006 c 263 s 906 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) In addition to other powers and duties, the superintendent of 11
public instruction shall adopt rules governing the training and 12
qualifications of school bus drivers. Such rules shall be designed to 13
insure that persons will not be employed to operate school buses 14
unless they possess such physical health and driving skills as are 15
necessary to safely operate school buses: PROVIDED, That such rules 16
shall insure that school bus drivers are provided a due process 17
hearing before any certification required by such rules is canceled: 18
PROVIDED FURTHER, That such rules shall not conflict with the 19
authority of the department of licensing to license school bus 20
drivers in accordance with chapter 46.25 RCW. The superintendent of 21
public instruction may obtain a copy of the driving record, as 22
maintained by the department of licensing, for consideration when 23
evaluating a school bus driver's driving skills. 24
(2) The rules adopted by the superintendent of public instruction 25
governing the training and qualifications of school bus drivers must 26
also apply to drivers transporting students in a Washington state 27
patrol-inspected school vehicle other than a school bus. A driver 28
that exclusively transports students in such a vehicle must have the 29
appropriate driver's license for the vehicle, and may not be required 30
to hold a commercial driver's license.31
--- END ---
p. 5 SB 5009