2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 22 - EDUCATION (§§ 22-1-101 — 22-108-109) › MISCELLANEOUS (§§ 22-80-101 — 22-108-109) › Article 107 - SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION MODERNIZATION TASK FORCE (§§ 22-107-101 — 22-107-105) › Section 22-107-104 - Task force duties - report

(1)
To inform the work of the task force, the department of education shall collect, study, and publicly report the school transportation data described in this subsection (1). The department of education shall present, at a minimum, the following data to the task force as it becomes available:
(a)
Student eligibility, including factors used by school districts and charter schools to determine eligibility for transportation and whether the factors used create barriers for students to attend their school-district-assigned neighborhood public school, public school of choice, or career pathways program;
(b)
Student utilization, including how many eligible students utilize school transportation, whether routes are at capacity, and methodologies used by school districts and charter schools to identify utilization patterns and adjust operations accordingly;
(c)
Driver staffing levels, including staffing required to cover routes, driver pay rates, hours of operation, vacancies, and whether and how school districts and charter schools contract with public transportation providers or alternative transportation providers to satisfy school transportation needs;
(d)
Fleet diversification, including the types of buses or vehicles used to satisfy school transportation needs and costs associated with each type of bus and vehicle used and including, for each type of bus and vehicle used, electrification options, fuel costs, maintenance costs, purchase prices, resale values, and salvage values; and
(e)
Service gaps, including identifying discrepancies between eligible students and utilization, and causes of those discrepancies.
(2)
Considering data collected by the department of education pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, and input from task force members or other experts as consulted, the task force shall create a report containing findings and recommendations for the purpose of improving school transportation services for students. The report must include:
(a)
Identification of transportation challenges that create barriers to students attending a school-district-assigned neighborhood public school, public school of choice, or career pathway programs;
(b)
Recommendations for implementing a simplified reimbursement process for school districts based on the findings or recommendations from the transportation subcommittee of the financial policies and procedures advisory committee of the department of education;
(c)
Identification of existing and potential funding sources for providing school transportation;
(d)
Recommendations for creating and implementing sustainable funding mechanisms to meet school transportation needs;
(e)
Recommendations for creating and implementing a transportation innovation fund to support local efforts to create new and innovative transportation solutions that may serve as a model to scale and sustain in other school districts and charter schools;
(f)
Recommendations for facilitating partnerships among school districts, district and institute charter schools, public transportation providers, private transportation providers, and local nonprofit organizations to meet transportation needs and create cost efficiencies while maintaining safety standards;
(g)
Recommendations for creating pathways and talent pipelines for transportation provider and logistics careers;
(h)
Recommendations for competitive salaries and benefits packages necessary to recruit and retain school transportation drivers;
(i)
Identification of outcomes from transportation assistance grants from the department of education, and recommendations for replication or expansion;
(j)
An analysis of the costs and benefits associated with requiring route school buses that can control traffic with alternating flashing red lights to have automated vehicle information systems, as defined in section
42-4-110.5 (6)
, to record motor vehicles that unlawfully pass a stopped route school bus; and
(k)
Recommendations for legislation or rules that may improve school transportation, including recommendations for legislation or rules that do not exacerbate the marginalization of communities through separation while protecting public funds with clear accountability and transparency.
(3)
On or before December 1, 2024, the task force shall submit its report to the education committees of the senate and house of representatives, or any successor committees, the state board of education, and the governor and shall publish the report on its website.
Added by 2023 Ch. 203,§ 1, eff. 5/16/2023.