Sec. 10-277. Reimbursement for transportation of high school pupils from towns or regional school districts not maintaining high schools. Transportation to nonpublic schools.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “high school” means any public high school or public junior high school approved by the State Board of Education.

(b) Any town or regional school district which does not maintain a high school shall pay the reasonable and necessary cost of transportation of any pupil under twenty-one years of age who resides with such pupil's parents or guardian in such school district and who, with the written consent of the board of education, attends any high school approved by the State Board of Education. The town or regional board of education may, upon request, enter into a written agreement with the parents of any high school pupil permitting such pupil to attend an approved public high school other than that to which transportation is furnished by the school district and each may pay such costs of transportation as may be agreed upon. Such necessary and reasonable cost of transportation shall be paid by the town treasurer or the regional school district treasurer upon order of the superintendent of schools, as authorized by the board of education. The board of education may also, at its discretion, provide additional transportation for any pupil attending such high school to and from the point of embarkation in the town in which the pupil resides. Annually, on or before September first, the superintendent of schools of each school district so transporting pupils to high school shall certify under oath to the State Board of Education the names of the towns to which such pupils were transported together with the total cost to the town of such transportation. Upon application to the State Board of Education, any town or regional school district which so provides transportation for high school pupils enrolled in a school not maintained by such district pursuant to this section shall, annually, be reimbursed by the state for such transportation in accordance with the provisions of sections 10-97 and 10-266m.

(c) Any town or regional school district which is transporting students to a high school, shall have the authority, at its discretion, to furnish similar transportation to nonpublic high schools or junior high schools located within the same town to which the town or regional school district is transporting students in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, or to nonpublic high schools or junior high schools located in a town adjacent to the transporting town or regional school district, or to a town adjacent to the town in which is located the public high school or junior high school to which the students are transported. If such town or regional school district does provide such transportation, it shall be reimbursed in the same manner and amounts as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Any town or regional school district which provides transportation services pursuant to the provisions of this section may suspend such services in accordance with the provisions of section 10-233c.

(1949 Rev., S. 1571; 1949, S. 969d; 1961, P.A. 63, S. 2; 1963, P.A. 492; 1967, P.A. 190, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 672, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 851, S. 1; P.A. 78-218, S. 191; 78-272, S. 3, 6; P.A. 79-128, S. 29, 36; P.A. 83-119, S. 5, 8; P.A. 84-255, S. 14, 21; P.A. 86-71, S. 8, 11; P.A. 93-353, S. 26, 52.)

History: 1961 act substituted superintendent of schools for chairman of the board of education as the officer to order payment and certify to the same; 1963 act allowed agreements between parents and board re student's attendance at schools where transportation not furnished and payment of transportation costs involved and required that the board of education authorize the superintendent of schools order for payment; 1967 act changed report deadline from July first to August first and required report to include number of pupils transported rather then “total average daily membership” of pupils transported; 1969 act inserted Subsec. (a), containing definition of “high school”, made former provisions Subsec. (b), excepted towns which are part of regional high school districts from provisions, specified that costs be paid for any pupil under 21 years of age, required payment to towns which provide transportation to schools in other towns rather than to towns where high school not maintained having annual tax receipts of $60,000 or less and deleted provisions re 40% payments after six months of school year; 1971 act made changes necessary to apply provisions to town or regional school districts and added Subsec. (c) re transportation to private schools; P.A. 78-218 substituted “such pupil’s” for “his” in Subsec. (b); P.A. 78-272 changed maximum payment in Subsec. (b) from one-half of cost but not more than an average of $35 per pupil to one-half the cost or an average of $35 per pupil, whichever is greater; P.A. 79-128 replaced previous provision for reimbursement maximum with provision for reimbursement in accordance with Secs. 10-266m and 10-266n; P.A. 83-119 added Subsec. (d) re suspension of transportation services; P.A. 84-255 amended Subsec. (b) changing filing date for certification of the names and number of students being transported from August to September; P.A. 86-71 deleted the reference in Subsec. (b) to Sec. 10-266n which was repealed and added the reference to Sec. 10-97; P.A. 93-353 amended Subsec. (b) to change the information required to be certified under oath from the names of the high schools and the number of pupils transported to each school to the towns to which the pupils were transported, effective July 1, 1993.

Notation

Cited. 172 C. 615; 181 C. 544; 187 C. 187; 195 C. 24; 228 C. 699.

Violates Art. I, Sec. 20 and Art. VIII, Sec. 1 of Connecticut Constitution. 31 CS 377.