AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TRANSPORTATION.

This Act encourages school districts and charter schools to cooperate to ensure that State appropriations for school transportation are used efficiently by doing the following: 1. Codifies the Department of Education's current practice of establishing a formula, with approval of the State Board of Education, to determine appropriate transportation funds for each school district and charter school and providing a percentage of that amount to the school district and charter school. 2. Permits charter schools to enter into contracts with transportation contractors for multiple years. 3. Permits charter schools to collaborate with other local education agencies to publically bid transportation routes, to establish the safest and most cost-effective bus routes available. 4. Allows school districts and charter schools to purchase and provide annual bus passes for students to use on fixed route public transit to address the short supply of public school bus transportation. This Act also makes technical corrections to conform existing law to the standards of the Delaware Legislative Drafting Manual.