SB 595

Current law, with some exceptions, requires a school district to provide

transportation to and from school for a pupil attending a private school that is located

at least two miles from the pupil's residence.

This bill requires a school district to provide transportation for private school

pupils only during the school term of the school district. A school term is the time

beginning on the first school day and ending on the last school day that the schools

of a school district are in operation for the attendance of pupils in a school year,

excluding summer classes.

Under current law, if the estimated cost of transporting a pupil to a private

school is more than 1.5 times the school district's average cost per pupil for bus

transportation, the school board may fulfill its obligation to transport the pupil by

contracting with the pupil's parent or guardian. Except as provided below, the

contract must provide for an annual payment for each pupil of at least $5 times the

number of miles between the pupil's residence and the private school, or the school

district's average cost per pupil for bus transportation, whichever is greater.

In a first class city school district (currently, only the Milwaukee Public

Schools), if two or more pupils reside in the same household and attend the same

private school, the contract may, at the discretion of the school board, provide for a

total annual payment of the amount described above for all of the pupils instead of

for each of the pupils. This bill extends this provision to all school districts.

Currently, annually by May 15 each private school must notify each school

board of the names, grade levels, and locations of all pupils eligible to be transported

by the school board during the succeeding school term. This bill changes the

notification date to July 15.