UNDERSTAND MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR PUPIL
TRANSPORTATION
Gregg Diefenbach, [email protected]
(Last Updated: 5/6/15, Last Reviewed: 5/6/15)
The Issue
Non-city school districts are required to provide transportation to and from school for all students. The
law does not differentiate if the student is in a public or private school. The statutory mileage limits are
different than the mileage limit set in the state aid calculation. Districts that consider changing the
mileage limits for transportation should review the last voter authorized mileage standards.
Legal References


Education Law sections 2023 and 3635
NYSED Commissioners decisions: 46 Ed Dept. Rep 565 (2007), 22 Ed Dept. Rep 381(1983), 1
Ed Dept. Rep 381 (1959)
Best Practices
1. Know the miles limitation when the district must transport students and compare those state
minimums to the district’s policy. For districts other than city districts transportation must be
provided to elementary (K-8) pupils who live more than two miles and up to fifteen miles from
the school they legally attend. For pupils in grades nine through twelve, transportation must be
provided if they live more than three and up to fifteen miles from the school they legally attend.
2. Pupils living more than 1.5 miles from school are considered allowable students in the calculation
of the non-allowable pupil decimal used in the calculation of Transportation Aid. The district
must report all bus runs with the number of students outside 1.5 miles (allowable students) and
students within 1.5 miles (non-allowable students) every three years. If the district has
computerized routing, work with the transportation department to assure that the data is correct so
that maximum aid can be generated.
3. Work with the Committee on Special Education (CSE) and the transportation department to
coordinate transportation for students with disabilities. There is no mileage limitation for pupils
with disabilities transported pursuant to a determination by your district's committee on special
education that such transportation is required as a related service.
4. When considering changing the transportation policy of the district NYSED advises that school
districts shall continue to transport students to and from the regular school program in accordance
with the mileage limitations previously adopted by the qualified voters of the school district. Such
mileage limits shall change only when amended by a special proposition passed by a majority of
the qualified voters of the school district., In the event a school district does not have
documentation of voter approval of mileage limitations that go beyond those in statute, NYSED
recommends that a current proposition be put to the voters. The district’s policy manual should
reflect voter authorization.
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New York State Association of School Business Officials
Resourcess

NYSED,
N
Pupill Transportatiion
o Phone: 518-474-654
41
o http://w
www.p12.nyssed.gov/schoo
olbus/

NYSED,
N
Statee Aid
o Phone: 518-474-2977
o https://stateaid.nyseed.gov/
Understand Mileage
M
Requuirements for Pupil Transpportation
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