10.7.116    ISOLATION ALLOWED TO INCREASE THE INDIVIDUAL TRANSPORTATION RATE

(1) When the board of trustees of a school district establishes a program of "isolated transportation payments"--that is, increase in the individual transportation rates due to isolation--individual families entering into transportation contracts with the board of trustees may apply for an "isolated" or increased individual, rate of payment.

(2) The board of trustees and the county transportation committee, in acting on applications for increased individual payments due to isolation, should judge each application in relation to all others in the district and county.

(3) The following factors are suggested to be considered by the county transportation committee in determining if increased payments for isolated conditions are appropriate:

(a) student lives at least seven miles from school and no school bus is provided, or lives at least seven miles from the bus stop; and

(b) roads are not graded for at least one-half of the distance from home to the school or bus stop, and roads present considerable difficulty in bad weather, and special equipment ordinarily is required; and

(c) county transportation committee determines that hardship (physical and/or financial) exists.

(4) The board of trustees must consider and approve or disapprove all requests for an increase in an individual transportation rate due to isolation. All board of trustee decisions must be reviewed by the county transportation committee and the Superintendent of Public Instruction who both have final authority over any decision of the board of trustees. The increased rate is 1 1/2 times the rate prescribed in 20-10-142 , MCA. The board of trustees is not required to approve requests for increased rates because of isolation, and the county transportation committee is not required to approve increased payments because of isolation. State approval is required for all increases in rates granted locally.

(5) The capping of mileage reimbursement rates at the room and board rate does not apply to isolation contracts.

History: 20-3-106, 20-10-112, MCA; IMP, 20-10-112, 20-10-142, MCA; Eff. 8/6/75; ARM Pub. 11/26/77; AMD, 1997 MAR p. 203, Eff. 1/28/97; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 632, Eff. 2/25/00.