School Finance: Transportation

FY09 Special Education Transportation Pilot

July 21, 2008

The FY09 State Budget includes $450,000 to provide funding for 10 intercollaborative transportation networks throughout the Commonwealth. This funding is to support the expansion of the pilot program initiated three years ago to demonstrate that transportation of students to out-of-district special education placements can be accomplished at a lower cost and with improved quality of service by delegating the planning and contracting for such transportation to educational collaborative networks. The Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives (MOEC) will provide coordination and support services to the ten collaborative transportation networks. In addition, $2 million has been set aside to provide reimbursement of special education transportation costs to districts participating in the pilot.

Staff from ESE, MOEC and the pilot participants are working out the details of the program for the upcoming fiscal year. Additional information will be posted at the School Finance website (http://finance1.doe.mass.edu).

For additional information, contact Christine M. Lynch at 781-338-6520 or at clynch@doe.mass.edu or Jay Sullivan at 781-338-6594 or at jsullivan@doe.mass.edu.