The School Busing Improvement Act seeks to enhance student transportation in Ohio by amending various sections of the Revised Code. Key provisions include the establishment of definitions for terms such as "assigned bus," "density," and "nontraditional ridership" for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The bill requires school districts to report qualifying ridership to the Department of Education and Workforce, which will calculate statewide transportation costs per student and per mile. It also introduces a new section for distributing bus purchasing grants to school districts for replacing older buses, contingent on available funds. Significant changes include the deletion of certain multipliers for calculating transportation base payments and the introduction of new multipliers for the specified fiscal years, as well as clarifications regarding transportation requirements for students in grades K-8.

Additionally, the bill amends laws regarding transportation services for students in various school districts, requiring community and chartered nonpublic schools to set and communicate their start and end times by April 1 of the preceding school year. School districts must create transportation plans based on these schedules, with penalties for noncompliance monitored by the Department of Education and Workforce. Financial provisions include an increase in the pupil transportation budget and the establishment of a new School Bus Purchase Fund. The bill also outlines fund transfers to the General Revenue Fund, authorizing the Director of Budget and Management to transfer cash balances from specified funds, while repealing previous provisions that complicated the transfer process. Overall, the bill aims to improve the efficiency, accountability, and support for student transportation services in Ohio.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 3317.0212, 3327.01, 3327.016, 3327.021, 265.10, 265.300, 512.10, 516.10, H.B