Presented to the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee on January 9, 2012, this brief presentation covers some of the essential facts regarding the revenue and expenses associated with transporting all MURSD students back and forth to school each day.

1. School Funding Basics:
Regional Transportation
MURSD Regional School Committee
January 9, 2012

2. Bus Transportation in the
MURSD
 Why? MGL Chapter 71, Section 7A: School
districts must provide two-way transportation
for all students living over one and one-half
miles from their school. There is no provision
for funding.
 But…Section 16C provides for reimbursement
to regional school districts: “the commonwealth
shall reimburse such district to the full extent of the
amounts expended for such transportation”
 Under this provision, regional school districts
may not charge bus fees to families

3. Transportation in the
MURSD by the Numbers
 In FY10, the MURSD transported 2,866 students-
but 219 (8%) were non-reimbursable…. As they
lived with 1 ½ miles of their schools
 Total cost of transportation to the district in FY10 :
$1,209,600 ($1,117,187 is reimbursable: the 92%)
 The state established a 57.59% reimbursement rate
for FY11 based upon the FY10 figures- thus…
0.5759 X $1,117,187 = $643,442 received from the
state for transportation

4. State Reimbursement for Regional
Schools Transportation , FY04-12
100.00%
90.76%
89.90%
90.00% 85.74%
80.00% 78.08%
70.00% 69.03%
57.79% 57.59%
60.00% 57.59%
57.00%
50.00% 47.52%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00% Reimb. Rate
0.00%
N.B.: The FY13 rate is a prediction only

5. Some Important Caveats
 Net School Spending (Chapter 70 Aid +
Required Local Contribution) excludes
transportation expenditures per MGL
Chapter 70, Section 2
• The MURSD Regional Agreement, Section V-
Transportation states: “School transportation
shall be provided by the regional school district
and cost thereof shall be apportioned to the
member towns as an operating expense.”

6. What if?
 Using FY11 figures- the amount of cost associated
with transporting all in-district students:
Net School Spending =
$1,178,174 ÷ 2,613 students = $451 per student

7. For More Info on School
Budget Basics
Go to the MURSD Superintendent’s Blog:
www.mursd.blogspot.com