School finance recalibration-transportation.

ORIGINAL
Senate
File No
.
SF0072

ENROLLED ACT NO. 55,

SENATE

SIXTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2018 Budget Session

AN ACT relating to school finance; requiring the department of education to evaluate and provide recommendations on fiscal efficiencies in transportation funding; requiring reports; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section
1
.

(a)

The legislature recognizes
the importance
effective
transportation
plays
in ensuring all students in the state have an e
qual opportunity to receive a quality education.
The legislature also recognizes
the state
has an interest in ensuring
public school
transportation
is

funded
in a cost effective manner
.
T
he department of education
shall
evaluat
e
the transportation funding system in place prior to the enactment of
2017 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 205
,
identify fiscal efficiencies with
in
the system and provide recommendations for how to implement those efficiencies
through statute or rule
.

In this study, the department shall
evaluate and provide recommendations
on
:

(i)

Existing department rules on minimum student walking distances;

(ii)

Existing department r
ules relating to physical barriers and safety hazards within walking zones. The department shall evaluate school districts' methods of evaluating physical barriers and safety hazards and
school districts' methods for
confirming tho
se designations
;

(i
i
i)

T
he sharing of transportation
personnel and
services
among
school districts
, including department rules on sharing transportation services
;

(iv
)

The use of contracts with parents and guardians to
provide compensation for
transport
ation of
students;

(
v)

Existing department rules
on
what a school district must demonstrate to the department in order to increase the size of its bus fleet. The
department
shall consider
:

(A)

H
ow the rules could
be developed to
enhance school bus routing efficiency;
and

(B)

How the rules could
be developed to

enhance transportation efficiencies by using buses
with greater seating capacity.

(vi)

Existing department rules on school bus life cycles;

(vii)

Existing department rules on the review of a school district's fleet when a district's average daily membership decreases by fifteen percent (15%) or more in a three (3) year period;

(v
iii
)

Existing department
rules on allowable and nonallowable costs;

(
ix
)

Opportunities to reduce
the number of

school district buse
s
. The department shall identify circumstances where
school districts may adopt multiple routing, including circumstances where adjustment of school
schedules
would allow use of multiple routing;

(
x
)

Incentives for school districts to adopt and use modern school transportation routing software, navigation systems and related programs
and training
;

(xi)

Any other mechanism in the state's transportation funding system that would increase
efficiencies;

(xii)

Possible use of regional transportation service districts to provide cost savings and improve efficiency for school district transportation operations;

(xiii)

Opportunities to phase in school buses equipped with seat belts.

(
b
)

To the extent the department determines regional meetings of school district
s
around the state are necessary to complete the requirements of this
section
, the department is authorized to conduct the meetings. Appropriate school district personnel shall attend regional meetings at the request of the department.

(
c
)

The department of education may re
quest
any executive branch agency or any school district
of the state
to provide information necessar
y to the department in its studies
.
Agencies and school districts shall comply
promptly with
any request.

Section 2
.

Not later than
June 1, 2018, t
he department of education shall report to the joint education interim committee
its
preliminary
evaluation and recommendations
o
n

the
studies
conduct
ed
pursuant to section
1
of this act.
Not later than
September 1, 2018, t
he department shall report its
final
evaluation and recommendations
to the joint education interim committee.

Section
3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the
Senate
.

Chief Clerk

1