Student Transportation Funding

Transcription

1 Student Transportation Funding Session ASBOA New Members Orientation September 18, 2015 Alberta Education, Strategic Services and Governance Business Operations and Stakeholder Support Branch Student Transportation Funding Key sections of the School Act Student Transportation Regulation The Education Act and Regulation review Funding Manual for School Authorities Funding applications Transportation audits 1

2 Key Sections of the School Act Excerpts from Section 51: (1) Subject to the regulations, a board shall provide for the transportation of a student to and from the site of the school in which the board has enrolled the student if the student resides at a distance from the site of that school to be determined by the regulations, within the attendance area established by the board, and within the boundaries of the district or division. (2) The board shall be deemed to have complied with subsection (1) when transportation is provided on a route that is not more than 2.4 kilometres from the residence of the student. (4)c. The distance of a residence from a school or from a bus route is the shortest distance measured along a travelled road or public right of way between the school site or the bus route and the lot where the student s parents reside. Student Transportation Regulation AB #250/98 Minimum distance from school Set distance is 2.4 kilometres. Special education programs If a student is directed to a special education program, then the jurisdiction is required to provide for transportation to the school site that provides this program. Student residing outside areas Regulation specifies how students can access transportation to a school outside their attendance area. 2

3 Student Transportation Regulation AB #250/98 Transportation fees Ensures that transportation fees are levied fairly for each type of student (e.g. ineligible, eligible, choice) within a jurisdiction. Surpluses If a jurisdiction has a transportation surplus and charges transportation fees, the portion of the surplus that is equal to the total fees received is protected and cannot be transferred to offset costs in other areas of the jurisdiction. This protected amount must be reinvested in the jurisdiction s transportation operations within two school years of incurring the surplus. The Education Act and Regulation Review September 2016? Section 59 of the Education Act combines Sections 51 and 52 from the current School Act. Specific requirements including the 2.4 km student walk distance are not included in new Act. The Education Act will provide Boards with even greater flexibility to be responsive to the needs of their community in determining how to best provide safe and appropriate transportation for their students. Where it is reasonable to do so, the Minister may direct a board to cooperate with another board to provide student transportation services. The Minister may make regulations respecting the transportation of students. 3

4 Funding Manual 2015/2016 Transportation funding information is provided in the following sections: Charter Schools 1.18 Boarding 1.19 Rural Transportation 1.20 Urban Transportation 1.21 Metro Urban Transportation 1.22 Special Transportation 1.23 ECS Regular Transportation (Private ECS Operators) 1.24 ECS Special Transportation 1.25 Funding Rates for Transportation 8.1 Reporting Requirements: Transportation 9.1 Glossary of Terms Funding Application Deadline November 30 Transportation funding applications are due for rural, urban and Francophone jurisdictions. Most school boards use transportation routing software to provide accurate student eligibility data for their transportation funding applications and also to assist with routing and boundary planning. 4

5 Rural Funding Application Funding amount for each eligible passenger/eligible transported ECS child = (rural transportation rate + distance funding) x weighting factor Rural Transportation Rate determined by a jurisdiction s density factor (number of transported students and effective transportation service area). Distance Funding determined according to whether a student is attending his/her designated school, a school of choice, a school in another jurisdiction, or a funded alternative program. Weighting Factor Kindergarten to Grade 6 = 1.0, Grades 7 to 12 = 1.5 Other funding provided on this application Special transportation, Cooperative transportation, Interschool transportation, Boarding, Weekend transportation. 2015/2016 Rural Transportation Rates 5

6 Urban Funding Application Funding amount for each eligible passenger/eligible transported ECS child = (applicable urban transportation rate + distance) x weighting factor NOTE Distance and weighting factors only apply to students riding a yellow bus. Urban Transportation Rate applies to urban centres with a population over 10,000. Three rates based on population ranges: 10,000 to 30,000; 30,000 to 50,000; 50,000 plus. Distance determined according to whether a student is attending his/her designated school, a school of choice, a school in another jurisdiction, or a funded alternative program. Weighting Factor Kindergarten to Grade 6 = 1.0, Grades 7 to 12 = 1.5 (Distance and weighting does not apply to students transported by public transit) Other funding provided on this application Special transportation, Cooperative transportation, Interschool transportation, Weekend transportation. Metro Transportation Funding Funding is calculated by Alberta Education using the jurisdiction s total funded student enrolment. No application to submit. Funding is based on expected eligible passengers x metro transportation rate. Expected Eligible Passengers = (# of funded students x.73) minus a non-ridership % factor for students attending elementary (75%), junior high (40%) and senior high (25%) based on average school enrolment for either the jurisdiction or the four metro boards, whichever is less. Special transportation funding is provided for 80% of severe students, as per the jurisdiction s severe disability profile. 6

7 Cooperative Transportation Funding Rural Cooperative Transportation In addition to regular rural transportation funding, boards that are transporting non-resident students who are eligible passengers/eligible transported ECS children (through a cooperative bussing arrangement) to a school of the board, or to another school jurisdiction, are eligible for the following funding incentive: # of non-resident eligible passenger/eligible transported ECS children transported under a cooperative bussing arrangement X 50% of the transporting board s Density Rate The primary intent of this additional funding is to offset the lower perstudent Density rate that the transporting jurisdiction will usually experience as a result of transporting additional students from another school jurisdiction. Cooperative Transportation Funding Urban Cooperative Transportation (except the metro jurisdictions) In addition to regular urban transportation funding, eligible passengers/eligible transported ECS children who are transported by yellow school bus as part of an urban cooperative bussing arrangement to a school of the board or to another school jurisdiction, are eligible for the following funding incentive: # of eligible passenger/eligible transported ECS children transported by yellow school bus under an urban cooperative bussing arrangement X 15% of the applicable Urban Transportation Base Rate This additional funding is intended to be an incentive for jurisdictions to look for ways to provide cooperative transportation services in urban areas. 7

8 Other Funding Scenarios Francophone Boards 3.5 factor applied to urban student funding. Charter Schools Urban student funding is based on the metro urban transportation rate; rural student funding is based on the applicable rural funding rate only. This base rate funding is provided for eligible transported students only. No weighting or distance funding. Private Schools Grade 1 to 12 students are not eligible for transportation funding. First Nations Students Are not eligible for transportation funding if they reside on a reserve. Wheelchair Lifts Funding is provided to reimburse jurisdictions for the cost of purchasing and installing a wheelchair lift on a bus. Transportation Audits A selection of jurisdictions are audited yearly to ensure adherence to current legislation, regulations and funding policies. Audits are conducted on site by department staff, primarily with the Transportation Manager / Director. Upon notification of an audit, jurisdictions are required to submit their transportation software student database for pre-audit analysis. The goal is to ensure that funding policy is being applied consistently and that eligible students are funded correctly. The standardized audit process looks for exceptions to student data on the funding application and in the transportation software database as well as adherence to funding policy. 8

9 Audit Results and Appeal Process Department staff will also provide advice to improve grant information gathering processes where necessary. Jurisdictions are also required to provide copies of parent-provided agreements, transportation agreements, education service agreements and bus operator contracts / pay schedules. Bus routes may also be reviewed. A preliminary verbal report will be provided at end of the audit visit and a completed audit report will be sent to the Secretary Treasurer within 1 to 2 weeks. The jurisdiction has 2 weeks to appeal the results of the audit report to the Director of Business Operations and Stakeholder Support. Questions Rick Grebenstein, BCom Senior Manager, Transportation Alberta Education Sally-Jean Bunch Student Transportation Manager Alberta Education