SB1205 - 472R

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 15-945, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-945. Transportation support level

A. The support level for to and from school for each school district for the current year shall be computed as follows:

1. Determine the approved daily route mileage of the school district for the fiscal year prior to the current year.

2. Multiply the figure obtained in paragraph 1 of this subsection by one hundred seventy‑five one hundred eighty.

3. Determine the number of eligible students transported in the fiscal year prior to the current year.

4. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection by the amount determined in paragraph 3 of this subsection to determine the approved daily route mileage per eligible student transported.

5. Determine the classification in column 1 of this paragraph for the quotient determined in paragraph 4 of this subsection. Multiply the product obtained in paragraph 2 of this subsection by the corresponding state support level for each route mile as provided in column 2 of this paragraph.

Column 1 Column 2

Approved Daily Route State Support Level per

Mileage per Eligible Route Mile for

Student Transported Fiscal Year 2005-2006

0.5 or less $2.15

More than 0.5 through 1.0 $1.74

More than 1.0 $2.15

6. Add the amount spent during the prior fiscal year for bus tokens and bus passes for students who qualify as eligible students as defined in section 15‑901.

B. The support level for academic education, career and technical education, vocational education and athletic trips for each school district for the current year is computed as follows:

1. Determine the classification in column 1 of paragraph 2 of this subsection for the quotient determined in subsection A, paragraph 4 of this section.

2. Multiply the product obtained in subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section by the corresponding state support level for academic education, career and technical education, vocational education and athletic trips as provided in column 2, 3 or 4 of this paragraph, whichever is appropriate for the type of district.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4

Approved Daily Route

Mileage per Eligible District Type District Type District Type

Student Transported 02 or 03 04 05

0.5 or less 0.15 0.10 0.25

More than 0.5 through 1.0 0.15 0.10 0.25

More than 1.0 0.18 0.12 0.30

For the purposes of this paragraph, "district type 02" means a unified school district or an accommodation school that offers instruction in grades nine through twelve, "district type 03" means a common school district not within a high school district, "district type 04" means a common school district within a high school district or an accommodation school that does not offer instruction in grades nine through twelve and "district type 05" means a high school district.

C. The support level for extended school year programs for pupils with disabilities is computed as follows:

1. Determine the sum of the following:

(a) The total number of miles driven by all buses of a school district while transporting eligible pupils with disabilities on scheduled routes from their residence to the school of attendance and from the school of attendance to their residence on routes for an extended school year program in accordance with section 15‑881.

(b) The total number of miles driven on routes approved by the superintendent of public instruction for which a private party, a political subdivision or a common or a contract carrier is reimbursed for bringing an eligible pupil with a disability from the place of the pupil's residence to a school transportation pickup point or to the school facility of attendance and from the school transportation scheduled return point or from the school facility to the pupil's residence for an extended school year program in accordance with section 15‑881.

2. Multiply the sum determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection by the state support level for the district determined as provided in subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section.

D. The transportation support level for each school district for the current year is the sum of the support level for to and from school as determined in subsection A of this section and the support level for academic education, career and technical education, vocational education and athletic trips as determined in subsection B of this section and the support level for extended school year programs for pupils with disabilities as determined in subsection C of this section.

E. The state support level for each approved route mile, as provided in subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section, shall be adjusted by the growth rate prescribed by law, subject to appropriation.

Sec. 2. Section 15-946, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE15-946. Transportation revenue control limit

A. The transportation revenue control limit for each school district for the fiscal years 1985‑1986, 1986‑1987 and 1987‑1988 is computed as follows:

1. Determine the adopted operational expenditure budget for pupil transportation for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 effective January 1, 1985.

2. Determine the transportation revenue control limit for the school district for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in this section before April 18, 1985.

3. If the school district's transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection is equal to or greater than the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection, the transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1985‑1986 is the change in the transportation support level from the fiscal year 1984‑1985 to the fiscal year 1985‑1986 plus the transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection. For the fiscal years 1986‑1987 and 1987‑1988 the transportation revenue control limit is the transportation revenue control limit for the current year plus the change in the transportation support level for the current year to the budget year.

4. If the school district's transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection is less than the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection, the transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1985‑1986 is the sum of the following:

(a) The transportation revenue control limit for the school district for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection.

(b) The change in the transportation support level from the fiscal year 1984‑1985 to the fiscal year 1985‑1986.

(c) One‑third of the amount obtained by subtracting the transportation revenue control limit for fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection from the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection.

5. If the transportation revenue control limit of the school district for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection is less than the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection, the transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal years 1986‑1987 and 1987‑1988 is the sum of the following:

(a) The transportation revenue control limit for the current year.

(b) The change in the transportation support level from the current year to the budget year.

(c) One‑third of the amount obtained by subtracting the transportation revenue control limit for the fiscal year 1984‑1985 as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection from the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection.

B. The transportation revenue control limit for each school district for the fiscal year 1988‑1989 and each year thereafter shall be the transportation revenue control limit for the current year plus the increase in the transportation support level from the current year to the budget year, except that for fiscal year 2006-2007 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the transportation revenue control limit shall not increase if the transportation revenue control limit is more than one hundred twenty per cent of the transportation support level. For a school district that sponsors a charter school, its transportation revenue control limit for the budget year shall be calculated as follows:

1. Calculate separately, as prescribed by the department of education, the total transportation support level for the current year for all charter schools under the district's sponsorship in the current year.

2. Calculate separately, as prescribed by the department of education, the total transportation support level for the budget year for all charter schools under the district's sponsorship in the budget year.

3. Subtract the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this subsection from the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this subsection. If the result is zero or less, use zero in paragraph 4 of this subsection.

4. Subtract the amount determined in paragraph 3 of this subsection from the district's transportation revenue control limit for the current year. This is the adjusted transportation revenue control limit for the current year.

5. The transportation revenue control limit for the budget year is the adjusted transportation revenue control limit for the current year determined in paragraph 4 of this subsection plus the increase in the transportation support level from the current year to the budget year. END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Appropriation; purpose

The sum of $5,500,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2006-2007 to the department of education to fund public school transportation costs based on a one hundred eighty day school year pursuant to section 15-945, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act.

Sec. 4. Retroactivity

Section 15-946, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act applies retroactively to from and after May 15, 2006.