Definitions used in discussing Transportation Aid
Assistant Driver A person assigned to ride a school bus to assist the driver in monitoring the behavior and needs of the pupils being transported.
Contract Bus Any vehicle engaged by the district under contract with a private individual, concern or corporation or with another school district or board of cooperative educational services.
Deadhead Mileage The mileage travelled from the place where the bus is stored to the beginning of the first route and from the end of the last route to the storage place.
District-Owned Bus Any bus or station wagon owned by the district and used to transport pupils.
Feeder Route The route that a bus follows between the vicinity of the pupils' homes to a point from which pupils will transfer to the bus that will transport them to and from the school they attend.
FV/RWADA Full valuation per resident weighted average daily attendance, or weighted average daily attendance wealth ratio. A per pupil measure of the wealth of a district based on the number of pupils who are residents of the district. This is determined by dividing the selected full value of the district by the resident weighted average daily attendance of the district.
FV/RPNP Full valuation per resident public and nonpublic pupil is a per pupil measure of the wealth of a district based on the number of pupils who are residents of the district, including resident pupils with disabilities attending approved private schools or the State operated schools at Rome and Batavia, and resident pupils placed in Special Act school districts. This is determined by dividing the full value of the district by the total resident public and nonpublic enrollment of the district.
Insurance Recovery The sum received to repair a bus damaged by fire, collision, etc. If the insurance recovery is used to replace a bus, it should be deducted for aid purposes from the cost of the new vehicle.
Leased Bus Any bus or station wagon leased by the district from its owner.
Nonallowable Pupil Decimal The ratio of a district's nonallowable pupil transportation expenditures to total net transportation expenditures, expressed as a decimal to four places. The decimal is recalculated every three years, or sooner, when there have been changes in school district transportation policy or services. The latest approved decimal is used to calculate a deduction from net transportation expenses of district-owned, leased or contract buses in calculating allowable pupil transportation expenditures for aid purposes.
Pupils-Nonallowable Regular pupils living 1 1/2 miles or less from the school attended; regular pupils on a feeder route who live one mile or less from the main bus route; regular pupils in grades K-6 residing in a common school district; regular pupils in grades 7 & 8 residing in a common school district if those grades are maintained by the common school district; regular pupils attending public school outside the district of residence in grades maintained by the district of residence in which there is no overcrowding; and nonpupils transported pursuant to section 1502 of the Education Law.
Pupils-Nonresident Pupils not residents of the district; this includes both regular pupils and pupils with disabilities.
Pupils-Resident Regular All pupils except pupils with disabilities and nonresident pupils including nonschool aged infants of parenting pupils.
Regular Scheduled Route A route operated to transport regular pupils and pupils with disabilities to and from school once daily, including late trips, trips to and from BOCES, trips to and from approved shared programs and trips to and from occupational education programs operated within the district.
Sparsity Factor An adjustment (0% minimum, 6.5% maximum) which is added to the sharing ratio for Transportation Aid purposes for school districts with less than 21 students per square mile, calculated by subtracting the districts enrollment per square mile from 21.00, and dividing the remainder by 317.88.
Students With Disabilities Students identified as having a disability requiring special educational services or programs as determined by the school committee on special education pursuant to Article 89 of the Education Law.
Total Annual Mileage Actual mileage for all purposes on district-owned buses for the school year period of July 1 to June 30, based on odometer readings. Include mileage for any vehicles disposed of during the July 1 to June 30 period.
Transportation Mileage Funded in the Special Aid Fund Mileage of district-owned buses providing transportation in July and August for pupils funded under Section 4408 and any other mileage for projects funded in the Special Aid Fund.
Transportation Mileage on Leased Buses Mileage for transportation provided on buses which are leased from another school district, BOCES, or any other source.
Transportation Mileage for Services Contracted to Others, Pursuant to Section 1709(25)(H), Ed. Law Mileage for transportation under a contract with another school district, a county, municipality, or the Division for Youth.
Transportation For All Other Purposes All vehicle mileage on other than regularly scheduled routes. Include vehicle mileage on noon trips home for lunch, field trips, athletic trips, excursions, summer school programs for nondisabled pupils, and any mileage related to staff or administration use of vehicles. Exclude vehicle mileage for projects (such as summer school for children with disabilities) which are funded through the Special Aid Fund and any mileage on vehicles leased to others.
Unapproved Bus A vehicle not approved by State Aid for transporting pupils.
Last Updated: April 10, 2009