Transportation FAQ

 What is a route? 

As defined in A.R.S. § 15-901, a route includes the total number of miles necessary to transport an eligible student on a school bus from their residence to their school of attendance and back to their residence. The morning run and the afternoon run equals one route.

 When is district transportation data due? 

• Transportation Route Report—A.R.S. § 15-922 requires school districts to submit transportation route reports within 12 days of the 100th day of instruction. The data must be submitted via ADE Connect. The submission window opens in mid-January.
• Vehicle Inventory Report—Each school district shall, on or before July 15 immediately following the fiscal year submit their vehicle inventory. The submission window opens on May 1.

 Where do I find prior year transportation reports? 

Prior-year transportation reports, up to FY21, are located on the Student Counts page of the School Finance website: https://www.azed.gov/finance/reports.

If the reports were never generated, request an A.R.S. § 15-915 to reopen the application and then create the report.

 What if I need to correct prior year route or vehicle inventory data?

To correct prior year data, your Transportation Director and Business Manager will need to submit an A.R.S. §15-915 request letter. Please see page 5 of the posted guidance: Guidelines for Requesting Prior Year Corrections to State Aid or Budget Capacity (A.R.S. § 15-915).

 Our district has not reached our 100th day yet and the global submission window for Route reports is closed, what do we do? 

If the global submission window closes before your LEA’s 100th day, contact the School Finance Account Analyst Team and request an extension of time.

 Can I use my “white fleet” to transport students on a daily route? 

According to A.R.S. § 15-901, school districts are required to report their annual bus mileage to the ADE. A.R.S. § 15-922(C) states that the passenger capacity defining a standard bus in A.R.S. § 28-101 does not apply for funding purposes. It is essential to acknowledge that additional state and federal regulations, as well as insurance requirements, may limit the use of vehicles used to transport students on a daily route. Each school district is responsible for ensuring compliance with these regulations. 

 Should I include my "white fleet" in the vehicle inventory? 

For the purposes of School Finance reporting, the passenger capacity of a standard bus  (A.R.S. § 28-101) does not apply to the Transportation Support Level (TSL) for funding purposes. If you use a vehicle that is not a "bus" as defined in A.R.S. § 28-101, include the vehicle in your inventory or contracted miles reports in the ADE Connect Transportation and Vehicle Inventory application so that a variance does not reflect in the Comparative Miles Report (TRANS40-2). 

 How do I calculate average eligible riders?

The posted guidance School Finance Manual [J] Transportation,  explains that each district can calculate the average number of riders for the first 100 days of instruction using at least 25 days of their bus drivers’ daily student counts. Districts must include at least 25 days to determine the average. The days do not need to be consecutive, but the days used in the average calculation must be identified.

Which district reports route mileage for a leased bus?

If a school bus is leased between two districts, only one district may report the route miles on the Route report. The districts should have an established agreement, known as an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), to determine which district will be responsible for reporting miles driven and eligible riders.