SB181: Bill Text

LRB-2592/1

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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Senate BILL 181

April 3, 2023 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB181,1,4 An Act to amend 121.54 (8) (a), 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) and 121.58 (2) (am); and to create 121.54 (5m) and 121.58 (2) (bm) of the statutes; relating to: aid for transporting pupils between school districts that share services and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council's Study Committee on Shared School District Services.

Under current law, if school boards enter into a shared services agreement that requires transportation of pupils in one district to attend a course offered in another district participating in the agreement, the school board providing that transportation is not eligible to receive state aid for the cost of transporting those pupils. Under s. 121.58 (2), Stats., state aid for transportation is an annual amount per transported pupil which varies according to the distance from a pupil's residence to the school in which the pupil is enrolled, as follows:

If at least 2 miles and not more than 5 miles, $35 per school year.

If more than 5 miles and not more than 8 miles, $55 per school year.

If more than 8 miles and not more than 12 miles, $110 per school year.

If more than 12 miles, $375 per school year.

Under the bill, a school board that has entered into a shared services agreement with one or more school boards to provide transportation to pupils enrolled in a participating school district for the purpose of pupils attending a course offered as a shared service under the agreement at a physical location in the school district must be paid transportation aid. Under the bill, aid for this type of transportation must be paid at the rates provided in current law, according to the distance from the school in which the pupil is enrolled to the school at which the shared services course is offered.

The bill requires that state aid paid to a school board that provides this type of transportation must be reduced proportionally based on the number of instructional days for which the transportation is provided.

The bill requires that this type of transportation be reimbursed from the current transportation categorical aid beginning in the 2024-25 school year and increases this appropriation by $150,000 in fiscal year 2024-25 for this purpose.

SB181,1 Section 1. 121.54 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:

SB181,2,10 121.54 (5m) Shared services; transportation between school districts. A school board that has entered into a shared services agreement with one or more school boards may provide transportation to pupils enrolled in a participating school district for the purpose of pupils attending a course offered as a shared service under the agreement at a physical location in the school district. The school board shall be paid state aid for such transportation under s. 121.58. For purposes of determining the rate under s. 121.58 (2) (a) for transportation provided under this subsection, the distance a pupil is transported is the distance from the school in which the pupil is enrolled to the school at which the shared services course is offered.

SB181,2 Section 2. 121.54 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB181,2,15 121.54 (8) (a) The Except as provided in sub. (5m), the cost of providing transportation for pupils under subs. (1) to (6) and s. 121.57 shall be paid by the school district in which they reside, and no part of such cost may be charged to the pupils or their parents or guardians.

SB181,3 Section 3. 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB181,3,6 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) A school district that provides transportation to and from a school under ss. 118.50 (3) (a), 121.54 (1) to (3), (5), (5m) and (6), and 121.57, a nonresident school district that a pupil attends under s. 118.51 or 121.84 (4) which elects to provide transportation under s. 121.54 (10), and an operator of a charter school authorized under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) that provides transportation under s. 118.40 (2r) (dm) shall be paid state aid for such transportation at the following rates:

SB181,4 Section 4. 121.58 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB181,3,13 121.58 (2) (am) State aid for transportation shall not exceed the actual cost thereof. No state aid of any kind may be paid to a school district which charges the pupil transported or his or her parent or guardian any part of the cost of transportation provided under ss. 121.54 (1) to (3), (5), (5m), (6) and (10) and 121.57 or which willfully or negligently fails to transport all pupils for whom transportation is required under s. 121.54.

SB181,5 Section 5. 121.58 (2) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

SB181,3,17 121.58 (2) (bm) State aid paid to a school board that provides transportation under s. 121.54 (5m) shall be reduced proportionally based on the number of instructional days for which the transportation is provided.

SB181,6 Section 6. Fiscal changes.

SB181,3,22 (1) Aid for pupil transportation. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (cr), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $150,000 to provide state aid for transportation under s. 121.54 (5m).

SB181,7 Section 7. Initial applicability.

SB181,3,24 (1) This act first applies to transportation aid paid in the 2024-25 school year.

SB181,3,25 (End)