FAIRFIELD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TRAVEL PROCEDURES OVERVIEW Travel expenses are the ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home for work. The IRS defines traveling away from home if your duties require you to be away from the general area of your place of work substantially longer than an ordinary day s work, and you need to get sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away. These travel procedures are effective for all Fairfield ISD employees and Freestone-Navarro Bi-County Cooperative employees. EMPLOYEE TRAVEL All employee travel must be preapproved by campus administration, regardless of whether or not an advanced registration is required. Fairfield ISD will follow the maximum allowable travel reimbursement rates for meals and lodging paid from any state or federal revenue source or program for employees traveling on official school business. Employees must submit original itemized receipts for all expenses upon return. A credit card slip is not considered an itemized receipt. All reimbursable amounts listed are maximum amounts. Campus administrators or directors may limit these amounts due to budgetary constraints. Registration: A registration form or certificate of attendance must be attached to the payment form. Also, a copy of the registration form must be turned in with the employee s travel form. It is the responsibility of the employee to make sure they are registered on time. Lodging: The employee is responsible for making reservations. When making reservations, employees are to advise the hotel that they are eligible for the state rate. School districts are exempt from Texas state sales tax on lodging but are not exempt from city taxes or other taxes imposed for lodging. Fairfield ISD will reimburse the conference rate or negotiated rate when applicable. Rates above those allowed for federal and state grants will be reimbursed from local funds. Standard room accommodations will be provided. Travelers will be asked to reimburse the District for any costs related to an upgrade in room accommodation. The District may guarantee hotel rooms using the District s credit card. This means that the employee is responsible for notifying the hotel in the event of travel plan changes. Most hotels require cancellation notice by 4:00 PM on the day of scheduled arrival or earlier. An employee who has not notified the hotel of a cancellation may not expense the no-show charge for reimbursement. A copy of the conference hotel listings must be attached to the travel form.
Meals: Overnight Trips An employee may be reimbursed for the actual cost of meals not to exceed $36 per day. Itemized receipts shall be presented for all meals. No snacks, drinks, vending, groceries, or other non-meals will be reimbursed. A reimbursement should not be requested for any meal which is provided from any other source during the trip. This includes, but is not limited to, meals provided by the conference or workshop, meals provided by a vendor, etc. There is no proration among breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, this rate will be limited to $18 on the day of departure if leaving after 3 pm or on the date of return if arriving prior to 3 pm. Day trips The IRS views meals reimbursed for day trips as taxable income. Therefore, only meals for overnight trips will be reimbursed. Mileage: Employees not using a school vehicle are eligible to be reimbursed for mileage using the current Fairfield ISD guidelines. Mileage reimbursement is based on the most cost-effective route between the origin (Fairfield ISD) and the final destination. You may use yahoo or Google maps to determine mileage for your event. Coordination of Travel is encouraged for those traveling to the same event on the same date with the same itinerary. Only one person out of a group of four may be reimbursed for mileage. District vehicles: Smoking is prohibited while using a district vehicle. No personal errands in a district vehicle. Remember that you are representing Fairfield ISD so aggressive driving is not allowed. All traffic citations in district vehicles are the responsibility of the driver. Parking: Parking fees will be reimbursed with the original ticket. Valet parking is allowed if no other parking is available. Tipping: Tips may be included for all reasonable expenses. Tips on meals are limited to 20% and included in maximum meal reimbursement rates. Hotel, taxi and other tips are limited to no more than $5 per day. No tips will be paid from state or federal funds. Miscellaneous/Incidental Expenses: All miscellaneous/incidental expenses in excess of $20.00 require a receipt. Air Travel: All air travel will be by coach/economy class only. Travelers are expected to accept flights that utilize the lowest fare route. Common sense is to be the guide in determining which fare/route makes most sense to the District economically. A connecting flight and/or alternate airports may be required to obtain the lowest fare. Flight times, layover times, and meeting times will be considered in arranging the most economical travel schedule. Travelers are to remain flexible and use a sensible window of time for departures and arrivals. Advanced planning is expected in order to maximize fare discount requirements.
Many airlines offer substantially reduced fares when a Saturday evening stay-over is booked. Approval for early arrivals and extended stays at the expense of the District will be granted if the employee, in concert with the Business Office, can demonstrate that the additional cost for lodging and meals is more than offset by reduced airfares. If an employee books a fare that is not the fare recommended by the Business Office, the employee will be charged the difference between the recommended fare and the accepted fare. Flight selection based solely upon frequent flyer programs is prohibited. Purchasing upgradeable fares when penalty and non-refundable fares are available is prohibited. If an individual chooses to purchase a ticket with benefits derived from a bonus program, the District does not reimburse the employee for the normal cost of such flights. When travelers make unapproved modifications to travel arrangements that result in additional charges, those additional charges will be the responsibility of the traveler unless authorized by the supervisor and approved by the Business Office. Paper tickets will not be issued. All tickets will be electronic, requiring the traveler to present two forms of identification at check-in. Travelers will receive a printed itinerary prior to traveling. This itinerary and appropriate receipts must be submitted along with the properly completed reimbursement request. Reimbursement will be granted for the first checked bag if a fee was assessed during airline travel. Any additional bags will be at the traveler s expense and not reimbursement will be made. Ground Transportation: It is recommended that staff use ground transportation (a District owned bus/vehicle, contracted bus carrier or a rental car) rather than air transport, where this mode of transportation is practical and cost effective. The use of a rental car must be justified as an economic requirement and not as a matter of personal convenience. Autos may be rented when: o Public or private transportation is not an alternative. o Travel is out of state, therefore District provided transportation cannot be used. o District provided transportation is not available. o Lack of accommodation near a facility requires the use of an automobile. The District may have arrangements with several rental car companies through purchasing cooperatives. Contact the Business Office prior to booking a rental car. As a general rule, an intermediate or smaller model will be rented whenever possible. When three or more are traveling together, a full-size car is permissible. The District is insured for rental vehicles. Travelers are advised to refuse insurance coverage offered by car rental companies since such coverage would be duplication and a non-reimbursable expense. Expenses in the operation of rental cars that are reimbursable include: gasoline, oil, toll charges, and reasonable parking charges. Expenses in the operation of rental cars that are NOT reimbursable include: refueling charges for not returning the rental car with a full tank of gas (unless sufficient reason for not refueling can be given), pre-paid fuel charges, and parking or traffic violation tickets the employee gets while on company business.
Rental cars are for business use only and should not be used for personal use. District insurance does not cover a rental car used by an employee for personal use. The employee will be responsible for any additional insurance coverage and/or any damage to the vehicle. Personal vehicles used for business use require a detailed log with date, mileage and business purpose of the trip. Currently the District reimburses the employee 50 cents per mile. This rate is subject to change. The District assumes no responsibility for personal autos used for company business. Personal vehicles should not be used for extended trips as the mileage charge and the time spent driving are not economical to the company. Federal and State Grants: Regulations limit payment of travel expenses to no more than the amount set forth in the State General Appropriations Act. Employees and supervisors must keep this in mind when it is necessary to incur travel expenses related to federal and state programs. Any travel expenses paid beyond the State limitations cannot be charged to the federal or state program, but must be paid instead from local funds. No tips or other gratuity may be charged to any grant fund. No tips will be reimbursed for purchases made with grant funds. Any tips or other gratuities will become the personal responsibility of the employee unless preapproved for payment from general funds. Spouse s Expenses: Payments for expenses incurred by spouses are considered illegal gifts of public funds unless the spouse is representing the school district in an official capacity. Under no circumstances will the District reimburse for expenses that were incurred for individuals not representing the District for business purposes. Toll Roads: The expansion of toll roads within Texas has created a more efficient mechanism for traveling from one location to another. The opening of these roadways also decreases the amount of traffic on existing roads, which also provides more efficient travel. Employees driving their own personal vehicles on toll roads will do so at their own expense. Except in isolated, documented cases, the District will not reimburse employees for use of the toll roads with their personal vehicles. Miscellaneous Travel Guidelines: Signing of Contracts: District Policy CH(Local) requires that all contracts shall be signed by the Superintendent or his designee. No other District personnel are authorized to execute or enter into contracts on behalf of the District. By doing so, an individual can be held personally responsible for the obligation and the act may be grounds for termination of employment. The Freestone-Navarro Bi-County Cooperative Director is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the Coop. Reimbursement of Phone Calls/Faxes/Internet Usage: o Only business related phone calls will be reimbursed. o No personal phone calls will be reimbursed. o Fax charges are to be reported for reimbursement on the expense report. o Only business related internet usage charges will be reimbursed.
Combined Business and Personal Travel: If an employee combines business with personal travel, only the portion of expense constituting the employee s reimbursable BUSINESS expenses may be reported and reimbursed. Meals, mileage, and lodging must be computed as if the trip had been made strictly for business purposes. For example: extra meals or mileage or hotel nights required because of personal travel are not reimbursable. Unallowable Expenses: Alcoholic drinks or beverages Entertainment expenses, such as in-room movies, fee-based hotel amenities such as gyms, spas, etc. Expenses for spouses or other non-district employees Expenses due to the traveler s failure to cancel a registration or travel arrangements (except for extenuating circumstances) Monthly Expenses Allowances: Monthly expense allowances are reportable as income and will appear on the employee s W-2 form each year. Taxes will be withheld each payroll period in which allowances are distributed. After Termination or Resignation: Any staff member who resigns or is terminated during any school year will be ineligible to attend any conference, workshop, or convention paid for out of any District funds under the control of the Board. Any staff member who resigns prior to the beginning of the school year who attends a conference, workshop, or convention for a new school year will be liable for the costs of the conference, workshop, or convention and will not be reimbursed by Fairfield ISD. STUDENT TRAVEL All student travel must be preapproved by campus administration, regardless of whether or not an advance is desired. An employee requesting student travel and subsistence must fill out a Meal Money request form and submit to the Business Office ten days prior to travel. Registration: A registration form or certificate of attendance must be attached to the payment form. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to make sure the group is registered on time. Lodging: For those students participating in an extracurricular activity requiring an overnight stay, the maximum standard/hotel/meal allowance will be in effect. Students should be grouped according to gender and have no more than 4 students per room. School districts are exempt from Texas state sales tax on lodging but are not exempt from city taxes or other taxes imposed for lodging. The sponsor is responsible for making reservations. When making reservations, please advise the hotel that you are eligible for the STATE RATE. Sponsors should negotiate the best rate possible for each stay. Meals: The district may provide meals or meal money for students and sponsors participating in school-sponsored activities. Meal costs will be advanced to the chaperone. A list of student and
sponsor names must be attached to the Meal Money Request form. Receipts or a signed roster are required to substantiate meals. Sponsors may opt to pay directly for the meal and obtain a receipt in lieu of giving the money directly to the students. Any unused funds must be returned to the business office within 5 days of the event. To determine if certain meals are eligible, please refer to the criteria below: Departure: Breakfast travel must commence before 6:00 am. Lunch travel must commence before noon. Dinner travel must commence before 6:00 pm. Return: Breakfast return must be after 7:00 am. Lunch return must be after 1:00 pm. Dinner return must be after 6:00 pm. District Amounts Above District Amounts State Level Breakfast $5 Breakfast $6 Breakfast $7 Lunch $7 Lunch $8 Lunch $10 Dinner $8 Dinner $10 Dinner $12 BOARD OF TRUSTEES TRAVEL According to the applicable laws, the following guidelines for Board of Trustees travel reimbursement must be followed: Reimbursement for all normal and reasonable travel expenses as limited by law Airfare reimbursement for coach class Travel by personal automobile reimbursement at the District s rate per mile Lodging reimbursement for lodging may include the night preceding the day of the meeting or convention through the night the meeting or convention ends Meals reimbursement for the actual cost when receipts are submitted No reimbursement for any spouse s expenses No reimbursement for personal expenses such as: laundry, movies, personal long distance calls, alcoholic beverages, etc.