(a) It is the policy of the General Assembly to encourage Vermont students to enroll in career technical education courses. In furtherance of that policy, transportation assistance is provided for in this section to facilitate the enrollment of Vermont students in career technical education programs.

(b) Transportation assistance shall be paid from the Education Fund to school districts that provide transportation to and from career technical education programs, regardless of whether the program is offered in a career technical center in the district's designated service region or regions or is offered within the career technical center region at a location other than at a career technical center. Assistance shall be $1.50 per mile for actual number of miles traveled, in 1998 dollars adjusted annually by the annual price index for state and local government purchases of goods and services. Payments shall be made on or before December 10 and June 10. Requests submitted on or following May 15 shall be reimbursed in the next payment.

(c) The State Board may adopt rules necessary to implement this section. (Added 1983, No. 247 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 1997, No. 138 (Adj. Sess.), § 13, eff. July 1, 1999; 2007, No. 66, § 7; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 302, eff. Feb. 14, 2014.)