2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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2023 SENATE BILL 181
April 3, 2023 - Introduced by JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Referred to Committee
on Education.
1 AN ACT to amend 121.54 (8) (a), 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) and 121.58 (2) (am); and
2 to create 121.54 (5m) and 121.58 (2) (bm) of the statutes; relating to: aid for
3 transporting pupils between school districts that share services and making an
4 appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the NOTES provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PREFATORY NOTE: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council's Study Committee on Shared School District Services.
Under current law, if school boards enter into a shared services agreement that
requires transportation of pupils in one district to attend a course offered in another
district participating in the agreement, the school board providing that transportation
is not eligible to receive state aid for the cost of transporting those pupils. Under s. 121.58
(2), Stats., state aid for transportation is an annual amount per transported pupil which
varies according to the distance from a pupil's residence to the school in which the pupil
is enrolled, as follows:
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SENATE BILL 181
If at least 2 miles and not more than 5 miles, $35 per school year.
If more than 5 miles and not more than 8 miles, $55 per school year.
If more than 8 miles and not more than 12 miles, $110 per school year.
If more than 12 miles, $375 per school year.
Under the bill, a school board that has entered into a shared services agreement
with one or more school boards to provide transportation to pupils enrolled in a
participating school district for the purpose of pupils attending a course offered as a
shared service under the agreement at a physical location in the school district must be
paid transportation aid. Under the bill, aid for this type of transportation must be paid
at the rates provided in current law, according to the distance from the school in which
the pupil is enrolled to the school at which the shared services course is offered.
The bill requires that state aid paid to a school board that provides this type of
transportation must be reduced proportionally based on the number of instructional days
for which the transportation is provided.
The bill requires that this type of transportation be reimbursed from the current
transportation categorical aid beginning in the 2024-25 school year and increases this
appropriation by $150,000 in fiscal year 2024-25 for this purpose.
1 SECTION 1. 121.54 (5m) of the statutes is created to read:
2 121.54 (5m) SHARED SERVICES; TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. A
3 school board that has entered into a shared services agreement with one or more
4 school boards may provide transportation to pupils enrolled in a participating school
5 district for the purpose of pupils attending a course offered as a shared service under
6 the agreement at a physical location in the school district. The school board shall be
7 paid state aid for such transportation under s. 121.58. For purposes of determining
8 the rate under s. 121.58 (2) (a) for transportation provided under this subsection, the
9 distance a pupil is transported is the distance from the school in which the pupil is
10 enrolled to the school at which the shared services course is offered.
11 SECTION 2. 121.54 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
12 121.54 (8) (a) The Except as provided in sub. (5m), the cost of providing
13 transportation for pupils under subs. (1) to (6) and s. 121.57 shall be paid by the
14 school district in which they reside, and no part of such cost may be charged to the
15 pupils or their parents or guardians.
16 SECTION 3. 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
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SENATE BILL 181 SECTION 3
1 121.58 (2) (a) (intro.) A school district that provides transportation to and from
2 a school under ss. 118.50 (3) (a), 121.54 (1) to (3), (5), (5m) and (6), and 121.57, a
3 nonresident school district that a pupil attends under s. 118.51 or 121.84 (4) which
4 elects to provide transportation under s. 121.54 (10), and an operator of a charter
5 school authorized under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x) that provides transportation under s.
6 118.40 (2r) (dm) shall be paid state aid for such transportation at the following rates:
7 SECTION 4. 121.58 (2) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:
8 121.58 (2) (am) State aid for transportation shall not exceed the actual cost
9 thereof. No state aid of any kind may be paid to a school district which charges the
10 pupil transported or his or her parent or guardian any part of the cost of
11 transportation provided under ss. 121.54 (1) to (3), (5), (5m), (6) and (10) and 121.57
12 or which willfully or negligently fails to transport all pupils for whom transportation
13 is required under s. 121.54.
14 SECTION 5. 121.58 (2) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
15 121.58 (2) (bm) State aid paid to a school board that provides transportation
16 under s. 121.54 (5m) shall be reduced proportionally based on the number of
17 instructional days for which the transportation is provided.
18 SECTION 6.0Fiscal changes.
19 (1) AID FOR PUPIL TRANSPORTATION. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the
20 appropriation to the department of public instruction under s. 20.255 (2) (cr), the
21 dollar amount for fiscal year 2024-25 is increased by $150,000 to provide state aid
22 for transportation under s. 121.54 (5m).
23 SECTION 7.0Initial applicability.
24 (1) This act first applies to transportation aid paid in the 2024-25 school year.
25 (END)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 121.54(8)(a), 121.54, 121.58(2)(a)(intro.), 121.58, 121.58(2)(am)