Bill Text: DE HB375 | 2013-2014 | 147th General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 14 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-04 - Reported Out of Committee (HOUSE ADMINISTRATION) in House with 4 On Its Merits [HB375 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2013-HB375-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Rep. M. Smith & Sen. McDowell Reps. Carson, Kenton, Miro;Sens. Bushweller, Cloutier, Ennis, Lawson, Peterson |
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 147th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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HOUSE BILL NO. 375 |
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AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO EDUCATION. |
WHEREAS, there are 11,078 students enrolled in Delaware's 21 charter schools; and
WHEREAS, charter schools are responsible for transporting these students to and from their respective schools and receive a state allocation of funding for transportation; and
WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2010 budget reduced the state allocation for charter school transportation funding from 80 percent of the average cost per student of transportation within the vocational district in which a charter school resides to 75 percent; and
WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2012 budget further reduced the state allocation for charter school transportation funding from 75 percent of the average cost per student of transportation within the vocational district in which a charter school resides to 70 percent; and
WHEREAS, the decrease in the allocation of state funding for charter school transportation was coupled with an incentive for charter schools to negotiate improved transportation contracts by allowing them to retain the difference between a negotiated contract for transportation and the maximum state allowance for transportation; and
WHEREAS, these policy changes saved the State of Delaware $1.3 million in funding that would have otherwise had to be appropriated for charter school transportation;
NOW THEREFORE:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend §508, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§508.Responsibility for student transportation.
The charter school may request to have
the school district where the charter school is located transport students
residing in that district to and from the charter school on the same basis
offered to other students attending schools operated by the district, or to
receive from the State a payment equal to 70% of the average cost per student
of transportation within the vocational district in which the charter school is
located and become responsible for the transportation of those students to and
from the charter school. In the case of students not residing in the district
where the charter school is located, the parents of such students shall be
responsible for transporting the child without reimbursement to and from a
point on a regular bus route of the charter school. In lieu of the payment
from the State specified above, if If a charter school
utilizes a contractor for student transportation the charter school shall
publicly bid the routes, and the State shall reimburse the charter school
for the actual bid costs only if lower than the payment specified above. or
a charter school may negotiate a contract, multi-year if desired, for
contractor payment for school transportation up to 70% of the average cost per
student of transportation within the vocational district in which the charter is
located. If the actual negotiated or bid costs are lower than the rate of 70%
of the average cost per student of transportation within the vocational
district the charter school is located, the charter school may keep the difference
for educational purposes. If the charter school includes a fuel adjustment
contract provision, the charter school shall be responsible for increased
payments to the contractor or may keep funds taken back from the contractor.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a student at a charter school shall receive such
transportation assistance as is made available to students pursuant to a public
school choice program established by this Code provided that such student
otherwise meets the eligibility requirements for such assistance. In the event
a charter school chooses to transport students itself, it shall do so in
accordance with all public school transportation safety regulations. Local
school districts and charter schools shall cooperate to ensure that the
implementation of this chapter does not result in inefficient use of state
appropriations for public school transportation and the State Board shall
exercise its authority to approve bus routes so as to avoid such waste.
SYNOPSIS
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This bill places in the Delaware Code language that has been in the annual budget bill for the last 5 years. The bill allows a charter school to utilize for educational purposes any funds saved as a result of negotiating a school transportation contract below the maximum rate allocated for student transportation. The bill also recognizes that a charter school may negotiate a contract below the maximum rate without publicly bidding the transportation routes. Lastly, the bill provides that if a charter school has a fuel adjustment contract provision it shall be responsible for increased payments or may keep funds taken back from a contractor. |
