SACRAMENTO – The State Senate unanimously approved legislation on Thursday to increase school transportation reimbursement rates for districts that are severely underfunded.  

SB 1137 by Sen. Norma Torres would increase the rate at which districts are reimbursed for approved transportation costs.

Under the proposal, districts reimbursed at less than 50 percent of state approved costs would, during a phase in period, be bumped up to a 50 percent reimbursement rate.

It also would provide a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for transportation funding for all school districts.

“Too many children and their families in underfunded school districts are suffering consequences because of the lack of funding to safely transport kids to and from school,” said Sen. Torres. “This bill will ensure many school districts get a fairer share of funding.”

The current statewide district reimbursement rate for home-to-school transportation is 38 percent. The funding distribution is so uneven that some school districts see less than 10 percent reimbursement, while others receive over 80 percent of their approved costs.  

The most recent data available from the California Department of Education shows school districts spent over $1.2 billion transporting students.

In the 2012-13 budget, school districts received less than $492 million in funding from the state to pay these costs, resulting in a funding deficit of $800 million.

“From winding country roads to busy city streets, school buses carry the most precious cargo: our children,” said California School Employees Association (CSEA) President Michael Bilbrey, whose organization supports the bill.

“Full and adequate funding for home-to-school transportation ensures that there are sufficiently trained drivers, properly maintained buses, and sufficient routes to safely transport 800,000 California students each day. Only with proper and equalized funding can we ensure that school districts keep those vital big yellow buses rolling with our students,” Bilbrey added.

In addition to CSEA, the bill is supported by the California School Boards Association and a large coalition of school transportation advocates.