2015--state and national issues presented to 67 th fapt symposium june 29, 2015 ronnie h....
TRANSCRIPT
2015--State and National Issues
Presented to 67th FAPT SymposiumJune 29, 2015
Ronnie H. McCallister, FDOE
Terri Egler, Program Specialist
Jamie Warrington, Program Specialist
Student Transportation Funding
Student Transportation folded into FEFP in 2009-10
Recent appropriations:2013-14: $422,674,5702014-15: $424,875,8552015-16: $428,737,612 (Proposed)
2015 Legislation
SB 154, HB 41 (passed)- Would require that school boards and other governmental entities identify and correct conditions that are hazardous along student walking routes to school
SB 574 (failed)- Government Procurement; Defining the term “reverse auction”; requiring the Department of Management Services to maintain a program for reverse auctions.
2015 Legislation
SB 346, HB 487 (failed)- Revises wording s. 316.172 to state that a person operating a vehicle passing a stopped school bus that displays a stop- arm signal on the right side commits reckless driving punishable as provided in s. 316.192. Removes references to require mandatory hearing. Adds an additional $65 mandatory fine for EMSTF; minimum fine is uniform regardless of which side you pass.
2015 Legislative Bills
s. 1011.68, F.S., Codifies student eligibility requirements for weighted student transportation funding.
Clarifies that passenger cars and boats may be used to transport students who are isolated, homeless or in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Clarifies that only students who generate FTE through the FEFP during the summer are eligible for student transportation funding.
Chapter 6A-1, and 6A-3, FAC, Update:
Rule 6A-1.0451, FAC, changes were adopted (May 2014) to clarify which students transported in PV were eligible for funding
Rules 6A-3.0141, 6A-3.0151, and 6A-3.0171, FAC are scheduled for review at the July 2015, State Board Meeting
School Bus Speed Limit,Rule 6A-3.0171, FAC
Rule 6A-3.0171, F.A.C., Limits the speed a school bus may go to 55 mph
Section 316.183 F.S., States that school buses must obey the posted speed.
Therefore, the limitation to 55 mph in our existing rule will be stricken.
Mari M. "Miki" Presley, Assistant General Counsel
2015-16 Student Transportation General Instructions
Consolidates existing membership categories into five categories (admin change, does not change basic eligibility)
Other revisions clarify that: artificial incentives for students to ride only during survey
week are prohibited; career and technical education transportation funding is
only for grades 6-12; special after-school routes not eligible; summer trans funding only eligible for ESY, DJJ, and
FEFP-funded programs (effective starting June 2014)
Hazardous Walking Database Changes:
HB 41 Legislation Requires- Hazardous Walking (HW) Database Updates Immediately! If your data currently is without a HW project
completion date If your district HW location currently lists N/A as
a locations project completion date Corrections must be completed before the last
date of Survey 2, October 2015
Legislation, Statutes, and Rules
• www.leg.state.fl.us (Florida legislative bills and statutes)
• www.flrules.org (Florida rules and statutes, especially Chapter 6A-3, FAC, and Sections 1006.21 to 1006.27, and 1012.45, F.S.)
• www.regulations.gov (federal rulemaking—dockets and public comments)
Florida School Bus Inspection1140 active school bus inspectors and
trainers in the state1,032 certified Florida school bus inspectors108 inspector trainers26 districts have no trainerFAPT Inspection Committee is developing
proposed 2015-16 updates to the Florida School Bus Safety Inspection Manual
Driver License RecordsNo movement on charging fees to school districts for
bus operator driving records.STMS requested from DOE that a data field be added
to bus operator driving records containing the current MEC expiration date.
Any NWRDC access problems should go through Jamie @ DOE first, including password support.
There are three (3) reports available to all districts each week from NWRDC:dpsXX.EMH.F62454 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Weekly Report)dpsXX.EMH.F62324 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Annual Report)dpsXX.EMH.F71199 (P1)(P2)(P3) (Data Dump)
Report Number
Location for new MEC Expiration Date
Fatalities in 2013-14:• Seminole, 8/30/13- Two passengers killed in
PV crash with school bus• Collier, 10/31/13- PV driver killed in crash with
school bus• Hillsborough, 11/8/13- Motorcyclist, killed in
crash with school bus• Escambia, 4/14/14- Motorcyclist, killed in
crash with school bus
Fatalities in 2013-14:• St. Lucie, 4/7/14- Pedestrian student killed by
car (not school bus related)• Pasco, 4/9/14- PV driver killed in crash with
school bus• Duval, 4/11/14- Driver and passenger were
killed in multi-vehicle crash with school bus• FSUS, 4/18/14- Bus driver killed PV crash with
school bus
Fatalities in 2013-14:• Escambia, 5/2/14- PV driver killed in crash
with school bus
Fatalities in 2014-15:
• Lee, 8/28/14- PV driver killed in crash with school bus• Lee, 9/25/14- PV driver killed in crash with school bus• Charlotte, 10/2/14- Pedestrian student killed by PV
(not school bus related)• Flagler, 1/9/15- PV driver killed in crash with school
bus• Alachua, 6/4/15- PV driver killed in crash with school
bus
Crash Reporting Reminders:• Reporting threshold is $1,000, started 07-08• DOE is continuing to require that districts
reconcile district-reported numbers (DOE system) with police reports (DHSMV system)
• DOE receives daily clippings from DHSMV of ALL fatal crashes in Florida
• Scheduled changes–Utilizing Florida Law Enforcement Crash Reporting Program
Fatal Crash Reporting:• Districts should provide immediate notice of
any fatal crash to FDOE as soon as practical• Report by phone call and follow up with e-mail
crash report form• Helps district and FDOE answer immediate
questions from administrators, media• Info is always treated as preliminary • Not meant as substitute for regular FDOE and
police crash reporting
Charter Schools• 675 Charter Schools in Florida; 300K students, and
continuing to grow• Districts must ensure charter schools are
following laws and rules relating to health and safety
• Currently revising Charter Schools Transportation Resource Guide
• Spring training for new charter schools and districts was held in May, 2015
Your 2015 Florida Delegation Members:
Jim BeekmanDon CarterRichard DuckworthPat SnellDavid SolomonRonnie McCallister
www.FloridaSchoolBusSafety.gov
SESPTC Scholarships
• SESPTC awarded one $2,500 scholarship this year for 2015-16 college expenses to a graduating Florida high school senior
• Student receiving award was from Pasco• For next year’s opportunity, contact
Hot Topics in Yellow World • Alternate Fuel Buses (Vendors Show) • Distracted Driving, (National Incident)• Illegal Passing/Drive-bys• FUNDING challenges, service cutbacks, threats
to ridership, OLD buses (Lease Purchasing Program)
• Records checks; MECs, NRCME (Wednesday Program)
• Student Ridership Verification (Wednesday Program)
FAPT Website and ListServe• www.FAPTFlorida.org • Calendar of Events• [email protected] Use this address if
you want to send email to all FAPT General Members
• [email protected] for FAPT Supplier Members
• Future FAPT Website Redesign?
Contact FAPT at:
• (407) GRO-FAPT (476-3278); new FAPT central phone number
• [email protected]• www.FAPTFlorida.org
Resources and Links:• www.flrules.org/default.asp• www.leg.state.fl.us• www.fldoe.org/transportation• www.FAPTFlorida.org• www.NASDPTS.org • www.AmericanSchoolBusCouncil.org
