An Act To Provide Financial Accommodation under the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act for School Systems with Dead-end Bus Runs
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1062
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: WOODCOCK, SA VIELLO, KAELIN, MILLS
Amends: 20-A MRSA §15671

Legislative Document 
No. 1062 
S.P.379 
In Senate, March 1, 2005 
An Act To Provide Financial Accommodation under the Essential 
Programs and Services Funding Act for School Systems with Dead-
end Bus Runs 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator WOODCOCK of Franklin. 
Cosponsored by Representative SA VIELLO of Wilton and 
Representatives: KAELIN of Winterport, MILLS of Farmington. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §15671. sub-§4. as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, 
Pt. D, 
§33 and affected by §§72 and 73, is further amended to 
read: 
4. 
Educational cost components outside the per-pupil rate. 
A per-pupil rate is not a suitable method for allocation of all 
educational cost components. 
These components may include, but 
are not limited to, debt service, transportation, bus purchases, 
vocational 
education, 
small 
school 
adjustments, 
teacher 
educational attainment and longevity of service and adjustments 
to 
general 
purpose 
aid. 
The 
funding 
methodology 
of 
these 
educational 
cost 
components 
must 
be 
established 
based 
on 
available 
research. 
The 
funding 
methodology 
for 
the 
transportation cost component for 
a 
dead end bus run must be 
based on the total mileage costs for both directions of the run. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRS A §15681-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 
2, Pt. D, §44 and affected by §§72 and 73, is amended to read: 
J4 
]6 
3. 
Transportation costs. 
For fiscal year 
2005-06, 
the 
commissioner, using information provided by a statewide education 
policy 
research 
institute, 
shall 
establish 
a 
per-pupil 
transportation cost for each school administrative unit based on 
an analysis of the most recent year's reported transportation 
expenditures and a predicted per-pupil transportation cost based 
on the number of resident pupils, the number of miles of Class 1 
to Class 
roads in the 
school administrative unit and 
any 
approved adjustments. 
The per-pupil transportation cost for a 
dead end bus run must be based on the total mileage costs for 
both 
directions 
of 
the 
run. 
In 
fiscal 
year 
2005-06 
the 
established 
per-pupil 
transportation 
cost 
for 
each 
school 
administrative 
unit 
is 
the 
most 
recent 
year's 
reported 
transportation expenditures or predicted per-pupil transportation 
cost, plus 10%, 
whichever is lower. 
Beginning in fiscal year 
2006-07, 
and 
for 
each subsequent fiscal year, 
the per-pupil 
transportation costs for each school administrative unit are its 
established costs 
for 
the 
most 
recent year 
adjusted by the 
Consumer Price Index or other comparable index. For fiscal years 
2005-06 and 2006-07, in no case may the per-pupil transportation 
costs for a school administrative unit be less than 75°" of the 
established costs for 
the most 
recent fiscal year. 
Every 
years, 
the 
commissioner, 
using 
information 
provided 
by 
a 
statewide education policy research institute, shall examine and 
may 
adjust reported transportation expenditures 
and predicted 
transportation costs. The commissioner shall develop an appeals 
procedure 
for 
established per-pupil 
transportation costs 
for 
school administrative units; 
Sec.3. PL 2003, c. 712, §20 is amended to read: 
Page l-LRl311 (1) 
s 
Sec. 
20. 
Transportation. 
To 
ensure 
greater 
equity 
and 
adequacy 
in 
providing 
transportation 
services, 
beginning 
in 
fiscal year 2005-06, transportation costs must be included in the 
essential programs and services operating costs calculations and 
be 
based 
on 
school 
administrative 
unit pupil 
transportation 
densities 
and adjustments 
for in-district and out-of-district 
required 
special 
education 
and 
vocational 
education 
transportation costs and may include other factors that respond 
to unique costs in some school administrative units. 
Allowable 
transportation operating costs for a dead-end bus run must be 
based on the total mileage costs for both directions of the run. 
Beginning in fiscal year 2005-06, an appeals process to determine 
exceptions 
to the transportation operating cost for 
a 
school 
administrative 
unit 
must 
be 
implemented. 
All 
appeals 
must 
include, 
but 
may 
not 
be 
limited 
to, 
an 
analysis 
of 
cost 
efficiency and a cost comparison with school administrative units 
having comparable pupil transportation density indices. 
Sec. 4. Retroactivity. 
Those sections of this Act that amend 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
and 
Title 
20-A, 
section 
retroactively to July 1, 2005. 
20-A, section 15671, 
15681-A, 
subsection 
SUMMARY 
subsection 
apply 
This 
bill 
provides 
for 
counting 
the 
mileage 
for 
both 
directions of a dead-end bus run in determining the funding for 
jO 
the transportation component of public school costs under the 
Essential Programs and Services Funding Act.