Section 388.1622l - Allocation for district and intermediate district transportation costs; intermediate district transportation study; report(1) From the school transportation fund money appropriated under section 11, there is allocated for 2024-2025 only an amount not to exceed $125,000,000.00 to districts and intermediate districts for transportation costs. Funding for each district or intermediate district is as follows: (a) The department must assign each district and intermediate district to an octile based on the number of riders per square mile and calculate the median cost per rider for each octile.(b) Funds must be distributed to each district and intermediate district as follows:(i) An initial amount at the lesser of the octile's median cost per rider or the actual transportation cost per general education rider at the district or intermediate district.(ii) An additional amount for districts and intermediate districts that have outlier costs per rider that are deemed reasonable, as determined by the department.(c) If funds are insufficient to fully fund payments under this section, payments may be prorated on an equal percentage basis.(2) In addition to the funds allocated under subsection (1), from the school transportation fund money appropriated under section 11, there is allocated for 2022-2023 only an amount not to exceed $200,000.00 to an intermediate district for a study on district transportation costs. The intermediate district receiving funds under this subsection must submit a report to the department, the state budget director, the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on school aid, and the house and senate fiscal agencies by February 29, 2024 on the outcomes of the study under this subsection. Notwithstanding section 18a, funds allocated under this subsection may be available for expenditure until September 30, 2026. A recipient of funding under this subsection must return any unexpended funds to the department in a manner prescribed by the department by not later than October 30, 2026.(3) To remain eligible for funding under subsection (1), by not later than December 1 of the current fiscal year, a school district must submit, in a form and manner determined by the department, to their intermediate district, and a public school academy must submit, in a form and manner determined by the department, to the intermediate district in which the public school academy is located, the number of nonpublic school students the district expects to transport as required under section 1321 of the revised school code, MCL 380.1321. Intermediate districts shall submit this information to the department by not later than February 1.(4) The department shall compile the reports provided by intermediate districts under subsection (3) into 1 legislative report. The department shall provide this report not later than March 1 of each fiscal year for which funding is allocated under this section to the house and senate subcommittees responsible for school aid, the house and senate fiscal agencies, and the state budget director.(5) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department shall make payments under this section on a schedule determined by the department.Amended by 2024, Act 120,s 20, eff. 10/1/2024.Amended by 2023, Act 320,s 6, eff. 2/13/2024.Added by 2023, Act 103,s 31, eff. 7/21/2023.