Each district's annual student transportation allocation shall be determined by the superintendent of public instruction in the following manner:

     (1) The superintendent shall annually calculate the transportation allocation for those services provided for in RCW 28A.160.150. The allocation formula may be adjusted to include such additional differential factors as basic and special passenger counts as defined by the superintendent of public instruction, average distance to school, and number of locations served.

     (2) The allocation shall be based on a regression analysis of the number of basic and special students transported and as many other site characteristics that are identified as being statistically significant.

     (3) The transportation allocation for transporting students in district-owned passenger cars, as defined in RCW 46.04.382, pursuant to RCW 28A.160.010 for services provided for in RCW 28A.160.150 if a school district deems it advisable to use such vehicles after the school district board of directors has considered the safety of the students being transported as well as the economy of utilizing a district-owned passenger car in lieu of a school bus is the private vehicle reimbursement rate in effect on September 1st of each school year. Students transported in district-owned passenger cars must be included in the corresponding basic or special passenger counts.

     (4) Prior to June 1st of each year the superintendent shall submit to the office of financial management, and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, a report outlining the methodology and rationale used in determining the statistical coefficients for each site characteristic used to determine the allocation for the following year.

[2009 c 548 § 307; 1996 c 279 § 3; 1995 c 77 § 18; 1990 c 33 § 144; 1985 c 59 § 1; 1983 1st ex.s. c 61 § 5; 1982 1st ex.s. c 24 § 2; 1981 c 265 § 4. Formerly RCW 28A.41.520.]

NOTES:

     Effective date -- 2009 c 548 §§ 304-311: See note following RCW 28A.160.150.

     Intent -- 2009 c 548: See RCW 28A.150.1981.

     Finding -- 2009 c 548: See note following RCW 28A.410.270.

     Intent -- Finding -- 2009 c 548: See note following RCW 28A.305.130.

     Application -- 1996 c 279: See note following RCW 28A.160.150.

     Severability -- 1983 1st ex.s. c 61: See note following RCW 28A.160.010.

     Effective date -- 1982 1st ex.s. c 24: "Sections 2 and 3 of this amendatory act shall take effect September 1, 1982." [1982 1st ex.s. c 24 § 6.]

     Severability -- 1982 1st ex.s. c 24: "If any provision of this amendatory act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [1982 1st ex.s. c 24 § 7.]

     Effective date -- Severability -- 1981 c 265: See notes following RCW 28A.160.150.