285.2  Payment of claims for nonpublic school pupil transportation.
  1.  a.  Boards of directors of school districts shall be required to provide transportation services to nonpublic school pupils as provided in section 285.1 when the general assembly appropriates funds to the department of education for the payment of claims for transportation costs submitted by the school district.
  b.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education funds sufficient to pay the approved claims of public school districts for transportation services to nonpublic school pupils as provided in this section. The portion of the amount appropriated for approved claims under section 285.1, subsection 3, shall be determined under section 285.3.
  2.  The costs of providing transportation to nonpublic school pupils as provided in section 285.1 shall not be included in the computation of district cost under chapter 257, but shall be shown in the budget as an expense from miscellaneous income. Any transportation reimbursements received by a local school district for transporting nonpublic school pupils shall not affect district cost limitations of chapter 257. The reimbursements provided in this section are miscellaneous income as defined in section 257.2.
  3.  a.  Claims for reimbursement shall be made to the department of education by the public school district providing transportation or transportation reimbursement during a school year on a form prescribed by the department, and the claim shall state the services provided and the actual costs incurred. A claim shall not exceed the average transportation costs of the district per pupil transported except as otherwise provided. If transportation is provided under section 285.1, subsection 3, the amount of a claim shall be determined under section 285.3 regardless of the average transportation costs of the district per pupil transported.
  b.  Claims shall be accompanied by an affidavit of an officer of the public school district affirming the accuracy of the claim.
  c.  By February 1 and on or about June 15 of each year, the department shall certify to the department of administrative services the amounts of approved claims to be paid, and the department of administrative services shall draw warrants payable to school districts which have established claims.
  4.  a.  Claims shall be allowed where practical, and at the option of the public school district of the pupil’s residence, subject to approval by the area education agency of the pupil’s residence, under section 285.9, subsection 3, the public school district of the pupil’s residence may transport a pupil to a school located in a contiguous public school district outside the boundary lines of the public school district of the pupil’s residence.
  b.  The public school district of the pupil’s residence may contract with the contiguous public school district or with a private contractor under section 285.5 to transport the pupils to the school of attendance within the boundary lines of the contiguous public school district. The public school district in which the pupil resides may contract with the contiguous public school district or with a private contractor under section 285.5 to transport the pupil from the pupil’s residence or from designated school bus collection locations to the school located within the boundary lines of the contiguous public school district, subject to the approval of the area education agency of the pupil’s residence. The public school district of the pupil’s residence may utilize the reimbursement provisions of section 285.1, subsection 3.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §285.2]
84 Acts, ch 1302, §19
; 86 Acts, ch 1246, §136, 137
; 89 Acts, ch 135, §92
; 94 Acts, ch 1181, §14, 18
; 95 Acts, ch 214, §10, 11
; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286
; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180