Existing law authorizes school districts and county superintendents of schools to provide transportation services to pupils. Existing law, among other things, requires each school district or county office of education that provides transportation to receive the same home-to-school and special education transportation allowances that it received in the prior fiscal year and prohibits the transportation allowances from exceeding the prior year’s approved transportation costs, increased by the amount provided in the annual Budget Act.

This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, commencing with the 2022–23 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, to apportion to each school district, county office of education, entity providing services under a school transportation joint powers agreement, or regional occupational center or program that provides pupil transportation services either 100% of its school transportation apportionment for the 2020–21 fiscal year or 100% of its approved reported home-to-school transportation costs as determined by a specified report, whichever is greater. The bill, commencing with the 2023–24 fiscal year, would annually adjust those amounts for inflation, as specified. The bill would provide that implementation of these provisions is subject to an appropriation being made for purposes of those provisions in the annual Budget Act or another statute.