School finance-transportation.

2016
STATE OF WYOMING
16LSO-0303
Introduced
1.2

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0090

School finance-transportation.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Madden and Senator(s) Case, Dockstader and Landen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to school finance; modifying the reimbursement of school district transportation expenses; specifying payments for transportation expenses separate from the education resource block grant model; making a conforming amendment; providing an appropriation; reducing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section
1
.

W.S.
21
‑
3
‑
314(c
)(
i) and
21
‑
13
‑
320
(a)
are
amended to read
:

21
‑
3
‑
314
.

Students counted among district ADM; determination of charter school funding.

(c)

As part of the charter school contract, the charter school and the school district shall agree on funding and any services to be provided by the school district to the charter school. The charter school and the school district shall begin discussions on the contract using the following revenue assumptions:

(i)

The charter school shall be entitled to the benefit of one hundred percent (100%) of the foundation program amount computed under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
m) based upon the average daily membership of the charter school, less any district level amounts generated by the charter school's membership under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(m) and less amounts specified under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(m)(v)(E)
and 21
‑
13
‑
320
.

21
‑
13
‑
320
.

Student transportation; amount for transportation maintenance and operations expenditures and school bus purchases; district reporting requirements.

(a)

The amount provided
to school districts
for the transportation of school children
within the education resource block grant model pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
m)(v)(E)(I)

shall be computed in accordance with this section
.
The amount

shall be in addition to the foundation program amount computed for each district under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309
and shall be from amounts appropriated by the legislature
from
the school foundation program account specifically for
the
purposes of this section
.
T
he amounts computed pursuant to this section shall
be paid

by the state superintendent to each school district as follows:

(i)

On or before August 15 of each school year, e
ach school district shall receive t
en percent (10%) of its
average annual expenditures
. The amount shall be

the average of the
expenditures

made by the district for the three (3) immediately preceding school years

as
reported to the department pursuant to this section
; and

(ii)

E
ach school district shall receive
nine (9
) equal
payments for a total of
ninety percent (90%) of the
amount calculated pursuant to this section based upon
total
expenditures
reported
by the district
for
the immediately preceding school year.
The payments shall be made on or about the fifteenth day of each month
, with the first payment made in September of each school year
.

Section 2
.

W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309(
m)(v)(E)(I)
is repealed.

Section 3.

(a)

For transportation expenditures incurred
in
school year 2015
‑
2016, school districts shall be reimbursed over the course of the 2016
‑
2017 school year in the same manner and form as years prior and as a part of the operation of the school foundation program administered pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309.

(b)

This act shall apply to expenditures by school districts for transportation purposes for school year 2016
‑
2017 and each year thereafter. For purposes of calculating the average annual expenditures as required by this act, for the first year of administration, the state
superintendent shall utilize transportation expenditures for school years 2014
‑
2015, 20
15
‑
2016 and
2016
‑
2017
to determine the appropriate reimbursement amount to be distributed
under W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
320(
a)(i) in August 2017 for the
school year 2017
‑
2018.

Section 4
.

(a)

There is appropriated
up to
one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000.00) from the school foundation program account to the department of education. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning
July 1, 2017
and ending June 30, 2018. This appropriation shall only be expended for the purpose of reimbursing school districts in accordance with this act. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2018. This appropriation shall be included in the department of education's 2019
‑
2020 standard biennial budget request.

(b)

The state superintendent shall compute the

amount
appropriated to the department of education pursuant to 2016 Senate File 0001
which is

attributable to the
operation of the education resource block grant model for the purpose of reimbursing school districts for transportation expenses
for school year 2017
‑
2018
as

calculated pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309 and 21
‑
13
‑
320 prior to the effective date of this act.

The appropriation
to the department of education pursuant to
2016 Senate File 0001 for the operation of the school foundation program shall be reduced by the amount computed by the state superintendent under
this

sub
section
.
The purpose of the reduction is to reimburse school districts in the 2017-2018 school
year
for transportation expenses as provided in this act and to reduce accordingly the appropriation in 2016 SF0001 for those same expenses computed pursuant to the law prior to the effective date of this act.

Section
5
.

This
act is effective July 1,
201
7
.

(END)

1
HB0090