S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  6350

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 6, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT in relation to the transportation of students  in  the  Rochester
  city school district

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. a. Notwithstanding the provision of any law, rule, or regu-
lation to the contrary, including subdivision 1 of section 3635  of  the
education  law,  the city school district of the city of Rochester, upon
approval of a vote by the board of education of a plan  which  describes
fiscal  and educational outcomes and implementation strategy and notifi-
cation to the commissioner of education by February 1, 2016,  may  enter
into  a  transportation  pilot  program  for a period not to exceed five
school years beginning with the 2016-2017 school year to provide  trans-
portation  services for children attending grades kindergarten through 3
in the 2016-2017 school year, and for  children  attending  kindergarten
through  6  in  the  2017-2018 school year and subsequent years, and who
live more than one-half mile and less than fifteen miles from the school
which they legally attend  provided  such  transportation,  if  offered,
shall  be offered equally to all children in like circumstances residing
in the district.
  b. For the purposes of computing approved transportation expenses  for
transportation aid for transportation provided under this pilot program,
expenses  for transportation provided pursuant to this pilot program for
children attending grades kindergarten through 3 in the 2016-2017 school
year, and for children attending kindergarten through 6 in the 2017-2018
school year and subsequent years, who live more than one-half  mile  and
less  than fifteen miles from the school which they legally attend shall
be included. Transportation expenses shall  be  reimbursed  pursuant  to
subdivision  7  of  section  3602 of the education law during such pilot
period in an amount not to exceed the 2015-2016 approved  transportation
aid amount pursuant to such subdivision 7.
  c.  In  the event costs for providing transportation for children that
would otherwise be aidable without this pilot program  increase  due  to

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD03177-01-5

S. 6350                             2

enrollment  changes  or  other customary increases in cost as defined in
regulation by the commissioner of education, the city school district of
the city of Rochester may apply to the commissioner of education  for  a
waiver  to  receive  additional  transportation  aid  in  excess  of the
2013-2014  transportation  aid  amount  during  the  pilot  program  for
services that would otherwise be allowable transportation expenses.
  d.  The  city school district of the city of Rochester shall provide a
report to the commissioner of education on the results of the first four
years of the pilot program, including data that describes the costs  and
benefits of the program, by September 30, 2020.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.