(A) With funds appropriated by the General Assembly for school bus purchases, the State Board of Education shall implement a school bus replacement cycle to replace approximately one-fifteenth of the fleet each year with new school buses, resulting in a complete replacement of the fleet every fifteen years. These funds must not be used for school bus maintenance or fuel.
(B) With funds appropriated by the General Assembly for transportation grant programs, the department shall establish a grant program to fund transportation of students to alternate public schools including, but not limited to, vocational second and third choice schools, magnet schools, montessori schools, international baccalaureate schools, and English as a second language schools. Those districts having alternate public schools may apply to the department for grant funds to pay for the additional cost of transporting students to these schools. If funds are not appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, then neither the State nor a local school district is required to assume this obligation.
HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 79, Section 7, eff June 7, 2007.