Section 25-2541 - Payments on account of pupil transportation(a) School districts shall be paid by the Commonwealth for every school year on account of pupil transportation which, and the means and contracts providing for which, have been approved by the Department of Education, in the cases hereinafter enumerated, an amount to be determined by multiplying the cost of approved reimbursable pupil transportation incurred by the district by the district's aid ratio. In determining the formula for the cost of approved reimbursable transportation, the Secretary of Education may prescribe the methods of determining approved mileages and the utilized passenger capacity of vehicles for reimbursement purposes. For the school year 1998-1999 and each school year thereafter, any school entity which contracts with one or more school entities to provide pupil transportation services shall be reimbursed in accordance with the formula specified by the Department of Education for district-owned vehicles. In addition thereto, the Commonwealth shall pay to each district qualifying a payment for excessive cost of transportation, said amount to be determined by subtracting from the cost of the approved reimbursable transportation the sum of the Commonwealth transportation payment immediately above, plus the product of one-half mill (0.0005) times the latest market value of the district as determined by the State Tax Equalization Board, provided such amount is not negative. In addition thereto, the Commonwealth shall pay to school districts which own their own vehicles, an annual depreciation charge of ten per centum (10%), to be calculated on the basis of the approved cost at which the district acquired the vehicle for which depreciation is claimed. With respect to vehicles purchased prior to January 1, 1956, the number of depreciation payments shall be limited to ten such payments. With respect to vehicles purchased on or after January 1, 1956, the annual depreciation charge shall not exceed seven hundred dollars ($700) for such vehicles. The number of annual depreciation charges shall be limited, so that the total amount of such payments shall not exceed the cost of the vehicle as approved by the Department of Education at the time of the purchase. In no case shall the Commonwealth pay, in depreciation charges, more than ten thousand five hundred dollars ($10,500) for any one vehicle.(b) Such payments for pupil transportation shall be made in the following cases: (1) To school districts of the fourth class and districts of the third class which are located wholly within the boundary lines of a township, or within the boundary lines of a borough which has a population of less than five hundred (500) inhabitants to the square mile, to districts of the third class operating schools jointly with districts of the fourth class or with other districts of the third class entitled to payment on account of transportation to merged or union school districts in which one or more of the component districts were heretofore eligible for reimbursement on account of transportation to new school districts composed of two or more former school districts established as a result of reorganization of school districts pursuant to Article II., subdivision (i) of this act and to school districts which were eligible heretofore for reimbursement on account of transportation, for the transportation of elementary school pupils residing within any part of the district last served by any elementary school closed since the first Monday of July, one thousand nine hundred seven, or within a district all of whose schools have been closed, or who are assigned to a training school of a State college, and in each case who reside one and one-half (1 1/2 ) miles or more from the school to which they are assigned or who reside in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils.(2) To school districts of the fourth class and districts of the third class which are located wholly within the boundary lines of a township, or within the boundary lines of a borough which has a population of less than five hundred (500) inhabitants to the square mile, to merged or union school districts in which one or more of the component districts were heretofore eligible for reimbursement on account of transportation to new school districts composed of two or more former school districts established as a result of reorganization of school districts pursuant to Article II., subdivision (i) of this act and to school districts which were eligible heretofore for reimbursement on account of transportation, for the transportation of any child living more than two (2) miles by the nearest public highway from the nearest school in session, or any child who resides in an area where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Bureau of Traffic Safety, and to districts of the third class operating schools jointly with districts of the fourth class or with other districts of the third class entitled to payment on account of transportation for the transportation of any child living more than two (2) miles by the nearest public highway from the nearest jointly operated school in session offering the proper grades including pupils who are attending area technical schools or any child who resides in an area where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils.(3) To all school districts, for the transportation of children with physical or intellectual disabilities regularly enrolled in special classes approved by the Department of Education or enrolled in a regular class in which approved educational provisions are made for them. (4) To all third and fourth class school districts, for pupils transported to and from approved consolidated schools or approved joint consolidated schools living one and one-half miles or more from the school of attendance or residing in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils. Consolidated schools or joint consolidated schools shall so long as they are approved by the Secretary of Education as to organization, control, location, equipment, courses of study, qualifications of teachers, methods of instruction, condition of admission, expenditures of money, methods and means of transportation and the contracts providing therefor, constitute approved consolidated schools or approved joint consolidated schools.
(5) To all school districts, for pupils transported to and from schools used for the purpose of better gradation.(6) To all school districts for pupils transported to and from area technical schools.(7) To all school districts, for the transportation of nonresident children who are placed in the home of a resident, or who are inmates of an orphan asylum or home or a children's home or other institution for the care and training of orphans or other children, and who attend the public schools, and who live two miles or more from the nearest school with the proper grades or residing in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils.(c) Payments for pupil transportation on account of the school year 1979-1980 and every school year thereafter shall be made only in the following cases: (1) To all school districts for the transportation to and from school of elementary school pupils, including kindergarten pupils, residing one and one-half (1 1/2 ) miles or more by the nearest public highway from the school in which the pupils are enrolled and to which transportation is authorized under section 1361 of this act or residing in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils. Such elementary school pupils shall include nonresident children who are placed in the home of a resident, or who are residents of an orphanage, or home or children's home or other institution for the care and training of orphans or other children.(2) To all school districts for the transportation to and from school of secondary school pupils residing two (2) miles or more by the nearest public highway from the school in which the pupils are enrolled and to which transportation is authorized under section 1361 of this act or residing in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils. Such secondary school pupils shall include nonresident children who are placed in the home of a resident, or who are inmates of an orphan asylum or home or children's home or other institution for the care and training of orphans or other children.(3) To all school districts for pupils transported to and from approved consolidated schools or approved joint consolidated schools living one and one-half (1 1/2 ) miles or more from the school of attendance or residing in areas where the road or traffic conditions are such that walking constitutes a hazard to the safety of the child when so certified by the Department of Transportation. The Department of Transportation shall take into account the presence of sidewalks along the highway, but such presence or lack thereof shall not be controlling and the department shall consider all relevant safety factors in making its determination as to whether or not walking constitutes a hazard to pupils. Consolidated schools or joint consolidated schools shall so long as they are approved as to organization, control, location, equipment, courses of study, qualifications of teachers, methods of instruction, condition of admission, expenditures of money, methods and means of transportation and the contracts providing therefor, constitute approved consolidated schools or approved joint consolidated schools.
(4) To all school districts for the transportation of exceptional children regularly enrolled in special classes approved by the Department of Education or enrolled in a regular class in which approved educational provisions are made for them.(5) To all school districts for pupils transported to and from area technical schools.(d) The Commonwealth shall reimburse the school districts for the school year 1973-1974 and for each year thereafter for the approved reimbursable costs incurred in providing transportation under section 1361 for nonpublic school pupils and under section 1362 for hazardous conditions: Provided, however, That no district shall receive less than fifty percent (50%) of such approved reimbursable costs.(e) School districts and intermediate units that provide transportation for any eligible young child as defined in section 2509.11 shall receive payments for this expense from funds appropriated under this section and section 2509.1. (f) Effective for the 2007-2008 school year, any school district that is required to transport resident students of a distressed school district pursuant to section 1607(b) shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth the additional sum of three hundred eighty-five dollars ($385) for each student reassigned to a school district designated pursuant tosection 1607. (g) Beginning with the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the Secretary of Education shall report on a quarterly basis in person to the Secretary of the Budget, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives information documenting all payments from the appropriation for pupil transportation during the fiscal year and a revised estimate of the funds needed to make the required payments for the remainder of the fiscal year. Amended by P.L. TBD 2023 No. 33,§ 34, eff. 12/13/2023.Amended by P.L. TBD 2020 No. 30, § 22, eff. 6/5/2020.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, art. XXV, § 2541. Amended 1949, April 14, P.L. 456, § 1; 1949, April 14, P.L. 457, § 1; 1949, May 11, P.L. 1195, § 1; 1951, May 10, P.L. 283, § 1; 1953, July 27, P.L. 629, § 15; 1953, Aug. 21, P.L. 1223, § 14; 1956, Feb. 10, P.L. (1955) 1028, § 1; 1956, Feb. 17, P.L. (1955) 1066, § 1; 1956, Feb. 28, P.L. (1955) 1178, § 1; 1957, June 21, P.L. 385, No. 207, § 1; 1957, July 13, P.L. 864, § 8; 1959, Dec. 22, P.L. 1975, § 1; 1963, Aug. 8, P.L. 564, § 14; 1965, Oct. 21, P.L. 601, § 56; 1966, Feb. 1, P.L. (1965) 1642, § 11; 1968, June 12, P.L. 192, No. 96, § 6; 1970, Jan. 14, P.L. (1969) 468, §§ 82, 83, effective 7/1/1970; 1970, May 4, P.L. 326, No. 103, § 1; 1972, Dec. 29, P.L. 1726, No. 372, § 3, effective 7/1/1972; 1974, June 26, P.L. 370, No. 125, § 5, effective 7/1/1974; 1979 , Nov. 20, P.L. 465, No. 97, § 4, imd. effective; 1997, June 25, P.L. 297, No. 30, § 17, effective 7/1/1997; 1998, Dec. 21, P.L. 1194, No. 154, § 8, imd. effective; 2007 , July 20, P.L. 278, No. 45, § 28, imd. effective; 2011, June 30, P.L. 112, No. 24, § 40, effective 7/1/2011.