Section 120.30  Pupil Transportation Services Eligible for Reimbursement

Each school district that files a claim for State reimbursement for pupil transportation shall be subject to the requirements of this Subpart A in order to be eligible for such reimbursement. 

Pupil transportation services eligible for reimbursement are listed below:  

a)         Regular Pupil Transportation Services for Pupils in Kindergarten or Any of Grades 1 through 12

1)         Transportation services provided for pupils residing at a distance of 1½ miles or more from the attendance center to which they are assigned.

A)        The distance shall be measured from the exit of the property where the pupil resides to the point where pupils are normally unloaded at the attendance center to which they are assigned (Section 29-3 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/29-3]).

B)        If a pupil is at a location within the school district other than his/her residence for child care purposes at the time for transportation to and/or from school, that location may be considered for purposes of determining the 1½ miles from the school attended (Section 29-5 of the School Code). A district that chooses to consider locations other than individual students' residences shall adopt a written policy establishing this practice.  At the district's discretion, its policy may limit pick-up and drop-off to students in day care locations along the district's regular routes, or it may extend services via newly established routes.  In either case, the district shall not discriminate among types of locations where day care is provided, which may include, but need not be limited to, the premises of licensed providers, the homes of relatives, or the homes of neighbors, any of which must be located within the district's boundaries.

C)        A school board may comply with the provisions of this Section by providing free transportation for pupils to and from an assigned school and a pick-up point located not more than one and one-half miles from the home of each pupil assigned to such point (Section 29-3 of the School Code).

2)         Transportation services provided for pupils residing within a distance of 1½ miles from the attendance center to which they are assigned from pickup points at the beginning of the school day and back again at the close of the school day, effective on the date that the Illinois Department of Transportation grants written approval pursuant to 92 Ill. Adm. Code 556 (Rules on Transporting Pupils Where Walking Constitutes a Serious Safety Hazard) that a serious safety hazard exists due to vehicular traffic, for specific areas and specific ages.

3)         Transportation services provided for nonpublic school pupils when pupil transportation services for the nonpublic school pupils are provided on the same basis as the transportation services for public school pupils as provided in Section 29-4 of the School Code.

4)         Transportation services provided to a pupil who is required to be transported but is also required for disciplinary reasons to serve a detention period either before or after the regular school day.

5)         Transportation which is provided prior to or following voluntary, extracurricular and/or cocurricular activities, including sport practices, club meetings, drama rehearsals, or choral and band practices where such activities are scheduled before or after the school day, qualifies as transportation provided at the beginning or end of the school day and is therefore subject to reimbursement with respect to students who are required to be transported.

6)         Transportation services provided for pupils between attendance centers during the school day.  This includes transportation of vocational pupils between attendance centers or a building or other trades skill development site of less than one and one-half miles.

b)         Vocational pupil transportation services provided during the school day for vocational pupils transported one and one-half miles or more one way from their assigned attendance center to a vocational program located at:  

1)         An area vocational center;

2)         Another school district; or

3)         A building or other trades skill development site.

c)         Special education pupil transportation services, including field trips, provided for special education pupils in accordance with Sections 14-7.02 and 14-13.01(b) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/14-7.02 and 14-13.01(b)] and with 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226 (Special Education).  This includes field trips (community based instruction) when approved by the district's state approved director of special education as defined in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226.

d)         Transportation provided to any student in connection with a field trip:

1)         that occurs during a day of student attendance included on the official school calendar of the school district;

2)         whose hours are part of the claimable clock hours on the General State Aid Claim (i.e., the destination of the trip is considered to be the assigned attendance center for all students enrolled in the class);

3)         that is provided free of charge to the pupil;

4)         that is part of the school's curriculum for which pupils earn credit for graduation; and

5)         that is not listed in Section 120.40(a)(1) or (2) of this Part.

e)         During a gubernatorial declaration of a disaster under Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act [20 ILCS 3305], to ensure the continuity of education, including the provision of any direct or related service for the health and well-being of all public school students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, all transportation costs incurred that are beyond transporting students, such as costs paid by a local education agency for all employees related to the provision of transportation or a transportation provider under a written agreement, regardless of any service that may be provided, or costs related to the distribution of food, distribution and pick-up of student assignments and work, and use of vehicles to provide wi-fi and other similar costs, shall be allowable and reimbursed by the formula under Section 29-5 of the School Code.

(Source:  Amended at 44 Ill. Reg. 14785, effective August 27, 2020)