New Transportation Guideline—
Effective July 1, 2014
Don’t miss the bus!
Arizona Department of Education, Audit Unit
Brian Lockery, Audit Manager
Brian.lockery@azed.gov
602-364-4038
A short time ago, in a
government building far,
far away (from some of
you)…………………………
This was NOT a fishing expedition! This guideline was
directly requested by the field.
Issues identified by field:
What is an eligible student?
How do we calculate eligible students?
How do we calculate daily route mileage?
How do we track route miles?
How are we supposed to report dead head mileage?
How are we supposed to report contracted route miles?
What is a route?
PLEASE provide us guidance and consistency statewide!
ADE Guidelines Committee Process
Reviewed questions posed by LEAs
Developed a list of:
Transportation issues that have arisen
Statutory requirements
Past written ADE guidance
Case law
AG Opinions
Past ADE and OAG audits
Met and developed draft guideline over five months
Issued to a test field last month, responses due June 6th
Next steps
Purpose section
Reporting
Transportation Route Report
Documentation to Maintain
Compliance
Rubric
Additionally, new and improved definitions:
Daily route miles, eligible student, school bus, contracted
route miles
Transportation Route Report
A.R.S. § 15-922
Within 12 days of the 100th day of instruction
Vehicle Inventory Report
On or before July 15
Actual odometer reading for each school bus as of June 30
Total mileage for the year ending June 30
Current practice remains in place—No changes under
the guideline
Each school district shall, on or before July 15th
immediately following the fiscal year, report to the
Superintendent of Public:
The actual odometer reading for each school bus operated by
the school district as of June 30th; and
The total mileage for the year ending June 30th.
School districts must report three categories of miles in
the Transportation Route Report: daily route miles,
other route miles and miles for extended school year
services. Each of these categories defines what should
be included in each section.
Clarifies and makes consistent how miles should be
reported by category.
Additionally, school districts must report the eligible
students actually transported.
What is an eligible student?
Whose place of actual residence is
within the district, except students for
whom a transportation fee is charged.
For common school students, whose place
of residence is more than one mile from
the school of attendance.
For high school students, whose place of
residence is more than one and one-half
miles from the school of attendance.
Who are actually transported by the
school district on a school bus.
A school bus is defined as:
A motor vehicle owned by a public school
or governmental agency or other
institution and operated for the
transportation of eligible students from
their residence or pickup point to school
and from school to their residence or
return point on a regularly scheduled
basis. (A.R.S. §§ 15-901, 28-101);
A vehicle designed to be a student transportation vehicle;
Owned or leased by the school district;
Reported to ADE with beginning and ending odometer readings in the
vehicle inventory report; and,
At least 75% of the miles driven during the current fiscal year are for
student transportation purposes.
Contracted route miles—What are they?
Clarification provided on contracted route miles:
One mile means ONE MILE!
Legislation passed for clarification purposes—Guideline
supports and strengthens the law
Guidance provided on who can claim route miles and
eligible students
Guidance and Consistency on how to calculate eligible
students—Who should be counted? Who should NOT be
counted?
School districts must identify
and maintain a record of the
designated purpose for each
mile or trip conducted. School
districts must maintain this
documentation for a minimum
of four years pursuant to the
Arizona State Library, Archives
and Public Records General
Records Retention Schedule for
School Districts and Charter
Schools (Schedule Number
000-11-53).
Self-identified
Can open a 915 adjustment
to correct data
Follow established process
by requesting a 915
adjustment and uploading
corrected data
Self-reported, as with all
data, and subject to audit
State aid may be impacted
Budget capacity may be
impacted
ADE determination
Follow audit process
Adjustments made according
to statute
Data is audited after
reviewing all documentation
from school district and ADE
Audit determines corrections
and state aid adjusted
accordingly
Budget capacity adjustments
required
A.R.S. § 15-921:
The SPI may withhold a school district's
apportionment of state aid if it is determined that
the school district is not in compliance with the
reporting requirements. In addition, if the SPI
determines that the information provided by school
districts was not accurate according to this guideline
or state law, the SPI may make any appropriate
adjustments to return the school district to
compliance.
A.R.S. § 15-915
Determine if adjustments are necessary—if so, make the
adjustments to state aid
If adjustments are made to state aid, require corrections to
budget capacity
Corrections may be made in the current year or the budget
year, except that in the case of hardship to the school district,
the SPI may approve corrections partly in one year and partly
in the year after that year (Hardship Exception)
Audit Unit—Who is that?
Statutory Authority
A.R.S. § 15-239
A.R.S. § 15-915
What would auditors look for:
Original documentation
Paper and electronic/digital records
Aggregated documentation
Each school district is different—it is a local decision on
how to document, so each audit process is unique—
auditors determine how and then collect information
A school district must identify the reason for the trip,
document the beginning and ending mileage and
designate the trip mileage as:
Route miles authorized under A.R.S. § 945 (A);
An academic education, career and technical education,
vocational education, athletic trip and summer school miles
authorized under A.R.S. § 945 (B);
An extended school year services for pupils with disabilities
miles authorized under A.R.S. § 15- 945 (C);
Other non-route miles or miles to transport non-eligible
students; OR other miles that do not qualify as miles to be
categorized under A.R.S. § 15- 945 (A), (B) or (C).
Rubric
Scenario
Are the student and miles
eligible for funding?
Legal Citation
Arizona Department of Education
Questions? Please contact your School Finance Unit Account
Analysts
www.azed.gov/finance