Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
All reimbursable direct operating costs must be paid from the
Transportation Fund of a school district, except for those items required by
Section 17-7 of the School Code to be paid from the Operation and Maintenance
Fund and IMRF payments made for transportation supervisory salaries. All
reimbursable direct operating costs of a cooperative for special education or
vocational education must be paid from function 2550 (Pupil Transportation
Services; see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 100.Table D). Reimbursable direct operating
costs are listed below:
a) District
owned and operated pupil transportation services, including districts which
make payments to other LEAs.
1) The cost of
physical examinations for school bus drivers required for their employment
(Section 29-5 of the School Code).
2) Salaries and/or wages for the following
employees:
A) School bus drivers;
B) School bus maintenance
personnel;
C) Chief
mechanic;
D) Special education
attendants or aides for that portion of time they assist special education
pupils, i.e., for transit time only;
E) Transportation supervisory salary costs as
defined in Section
120.10 of this Part when
paid from the Transportation Fund as set forth in Section
120.90(b) and (c)
of this Part; and
F) Dispatchers and clerical workers who
support the transportation functions, when their positions are documented and
records support the percentage of time claimed for each position.
3) The cost of the following
benefits for the employees enumerated in subsection (a)(2) of this Section (if
proration is necessary for salaries and/or wages, benefits shall be prorated in
the same manner):
A) Health
insurance;
B) Life
insurance;
C) Dental
insurance;
D) Vision
insurance;
E) Annuities in lieu of
health, life, dental, or vision insurance;
F) Municipal retirement contribution, if paid
by the employer as part of the transportation supervisory salary costs;
and
G) Teacher retirement
contributions, if paid by the employer from the Transportation Fund as part of
the transportation supervisory salary costs.
4) Payments made to other school districts
for providing pupil transportation services and expenditures consistent with
this Part.
5) Payments made to
other agencies for computerized bus scheduling; to companies for the purchase
of computer software used to establish school bus routes; and to companies for
maps that identify vehicular traffic hazards.
6) Payments made for fuel, oil, tires, and
other supplies that are necessary for the operation of pupil transportation
vehicles.
7) The total cost of
converting school bus gasoline engines to more fuel efficient engines or to
engines which use alternate energy sources.
8) Expenditures (according to a school
district's written travel reimbursement policies) for travel to workshops or
meetings conducted by the regional superintendent or the State Superintendent
of Education designed to improve the driving skills of school bus drivers or
travel to other training programs that are for the enhancement of skills
necessary to operate vehicles safely, manage student behavior, or address
specific student needs (excluding competitions).
9) Expenditures for contractual maintenance
services including materials, parts, supplies and labor necessary for the
operation of pupil transportation vehicles or equipment used in the
transportation program not exceeding $2,500 per service.
10) Expenditures for lease agreements for
pupil transportation vehicles, for lease/rental of less than 30 days.
11) Expenditures for insurance, license
plates, and inspection fees pertaining to pupil transportation
vehicles.
12) Expenditures for the
rental of pupil transportation equipment for fewer than 30 days.
13) Transportation related building, land and
building maintenance costs. The prorated costs of operation and maintenance of
buildings, as set forth in Section
120.90(g)
of this Part, when directly related to pupil transportation services including:
A) Utility costs;
B) Custodial supplies and services;
C) Insurance for buildings and/or for site
improvements;
D) Security
services;
E) Telephone charges
incurred for the transportation program; and
F) Lease or rental of land or buildings for
storing or maintaining transportation vehicles when leased for less than 30
days.
14) Expenditures
for items that enhance transportation safety, costing less than $2,500 and not
funded by any other federal or State source of funding, including but not
limited to:
A) federally approved child
safety restraint systems;
B)
reflective tape;
C) alarm/warning
systems for child safety;
D)
cameras used on school buses specifically for security purposes.
b) Contractual pupil
transportation services
1) The cost of
contractual pupil transportation services, which shall be limited to the
following types:
A) Payments to independent
carriers whose drivers and vehicles comply with the Illinois Vehicle Code
(e.g., to bus companies, taxi companies, limousine services, and medical
transportation carriers qualifying as independent carriers); and
B) Payments to parents or guardians for
transporting their own children when the district has an obligation to provide
free pupil transportation services.
2) Payments made for fuel, oil, tires, and
other supplies that are necessary for the operation of pupil transportation
vehicles.
3) Transportation
supervisory salary costs as allowed in subsections (a)(2)(E) and (a)(3)(E) and
(F) of this Section.
4)
Transportation related building, land and building maintenance costs as allowed
in Sections
120.50(a)(13)
and
120.60(d) and (e)
of this Part.