Policy 3250 - Transportation Fees
Series: 3000 - Business and Non-Instructional Operations
Policy: 3250 - Transportation Fees
Adopted: 05/20/1997
Last Revised: 03/05/2024 (technical revisions)
Last Reviewed: 03/05/2024
Transportation Fees
Whenever the cost of providing student transportation exceeds funding provided by the state, the Board of Education may find it necessary to charge fees for home-to-school student transportation and other transportation services as expressly authorized by law.
The Superintendent or designee shall annually submit as needed proposed transportation fee schedules for Board approval. Fees shall be determined on the basis of operating costs, in accordance with law.
The Board shall certify to the County Superintendent of schools that the district has levied fees in accordance with the law. The total amount received for transportation from the state and parent/guardian fees shall not exceed the actual operating cost of home-to-school transportation during the school year. In the event that excess fees have been charged, the fees have been reduced and excess fee revenue eliminated.
No charge shall be made for any transportation of students whose individualized education programs require transportation or whose parents/guardians are determined indigent pursuant to administrative regulations.
Legal References
EDUCATION CODE
5CCR 350 Fees not permitted
10900-10-14.5 Community recreation programs
10913 Fees uses of school buses for community recreation purposes
35330 Fees trips and excursions: student fees
39800-39860 Transportation services
39801.5 Transportation for adults
39807.5 Payment of transportation cost by parents
39809.5 Excess fees; adjustments
39837 Transportation to summer employment program
41850 Home-to-school and special education transportation
42238.02 Local Control Funding Formula
49014 Public School Fair Debt Collection Act
49557 – 49558 Applications for free and reduced-price meals
56026 Individuals with exceptional needs
MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 7
245.8(a) Nondiscrimination practices for children eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals and free milk
COURT CASES
Arcadia Unified School District v. State Department of Education (1992) 2 Cal. 4th 251
Hartzell v. Connell 35 Cal.3d 899, 1984
WEBSITES
CSBA District and County of Office of Education Legal Services: https://legalservices.csba.org/
California Department of Education: https://www.cde.ca.gov
Rule 3250
Exemption from Fees
Eligibility for free transportation shall be based on the income eligibility scales as established by the district. At the beginning of the school year and whenever a new student is enrolled, parents/guardians shall receive information about free transportation eligibility standards, application procedures and appeal procedures.
All applications and records related to eligibility for free transportation shall be confidential and open only for purposes directly connected with the free transportation program.
Students receiving free transportation shall not be identified by the use of special passes, tickets, lines, seats or any other means. They shall in no way be treated differently from other students, nor shall their names be published, posted or announced in any manner or used for any purpose other than the transportation program.
Recipients of Aid for Families with Dependent Children may apply for free transportation by showing their monthly Medi-Cal or other subsidized insurance card rather than filling out the application.
Fee Schedule
Unless exempted, the parents/guardians of students transported to and from school shall be charged fees in accordance with Board-approved schedules.
Passes and tickets will be sold at all district schools. No money will be collected on the bus.
Families with more than two bus-riding students shall be entitled to purchase each child's pass at a discounted rate established by the district.