HB42: HB42 Quality Basic Education; calculation and distribution of funds to local units of administration for student transportation programs; revise provisions

Georgia's Quality Basic Education law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-188) sets out how the State Board of Education calculates and distributes money to local school districts, called local units of administration, for busing students. HB 42 changes several parts of that formula. It lets the state fund up to 100 percent of a district's projected transportation costs, rather than an amount that must fully fund regular transportation before other trips are covered. It also removes the rule that regular transportation must be fully funded first before other uses, like field trips, are paid. The bill requires the State Board of Education to work with districts and accept information from them when setting cost schedules, adds the cost of health insurance as a factor in those calculations, and requires the Department of Education to update the cost schedule twice a year (by March 1 and November 1) and post it online. It broadens the definition of school transportation vehicles beyond buses, raises the minimum monthly salary for drivers, and lets students within 1.5 miles of school be counted for state funding if they cannot safely walk or bike there.

• Allows the State Board of Education to fund up to 100 percent of a local school district's projected student transportation costs, instead of the prior funding cap.
• Removes the requirement that regular student transportation be fully funded before money is used for field trips or other transportation needs.
• Requires the state board to collaborate with local districts and let them submit information used to calculate their transportation cost estimates.
• Adds the cost of health insurance to the list of factors used in calculating a district's transportation costs.
• Requires the Department of Education to update its transportation cost schedules twice a year, by March 1 and November 1, and publish them on its public website.
• Raises the minimum monthly salary the state guarantees for school vehicle drivers from $500 to $2,000 per month for 12 months.

The bill affects local school districts (local units of administration) that manage bus transportation, the State Board of Education and Department of Education, school bus and vehicle drivers whose minimum pay would rise, and students, including those living within 1.5 miles of school who cannot safely walk or bike there.

If enacted, school districts could receive more state money toward transportation costs and gain more say in how those costs are calculated, while bus drivers would see a state-guaranteed pay floor quadruple. Families near schools with unsafe walking routes could also gain access to bus service funding.

• Amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-188 to change the state's funding formula so districts can receive up to 100 percent of projected transportation costs rather than a capped amount.
• Strikes the prior requirement that regular transportation programs be fully funded before other transportation uses, such as field trips, receive funding.
• Requires the State Board of Education to collaborate with local districts and establish a process for districts to submit relevant cost information for review.
• Adds 'cost of health and liability insurance' to the list of factors the state board considers when setting transportation cost schedules.
• Requires the Department of Education to update the cost schedule twice yearly, by March 1 and November 1, and publish it on its website.
• Broadens the definition of covered vehicles beyond 'school bus' to include other designated 'school vehicles' used for student transport, including small vehicles carrying eight or fewer people.
• Raises the state's minimum monthly salary guarantee for school vehicle drivers from $500 to $2,000 per month for 12 months (subsection (d)).
• Expands eligibility for transportation funding to students living within 1.5 miles of school who cannot safely walk or travel there due to unsafe conditions like missing sidewalks or dangerous intersections.

1. 2025-01-16House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-15House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-14House Hopper (House)

• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)Primary sponsor
• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)

• school transportation
• education funding
• school bus drivers
• student safety
• Quality Basic Education