(a) A local or regional board of education providing transportation in accordance with the provisions of sections 10-54, 10-66ee, 10-97, 10-158a, 10-273a, 10-277 and 10-281 shall be reimbursed for a percentage of such transportation costs as follows:

(1) The percentage of pupil transportation costs reimbursed to a local board of education shall be determined by (A) ranking each town in the state in descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine according to such town’s adjusted equalized net grand list per capita, as defined in section 10-261; (B) based upon such ranking, and notwithstanding the provisions of section 2-32a, (i) except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, a percentage of zero shall be assigned to towns ranked from one to thirteen and a percentage of not less than zero nor more than sixty shall be determined for the towns ranked from fourteen to one hundred sixty-nine on a continuous scale, except that any such percentage shall be increased by twenty percentage points in accordance with section 10-97, where applicable, and (ii) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, and for each fiscal year thereafter, a percentage of zero shall be assigned to towns ranked from one to seventeen and a percentage of not less than zero nor more than sixty shall be determined for the towns ranked from eighteen to one hundred sixty-nine on a continuous scale.

(2) The percentage of pupil transportation costs reimbursed to a regional board of education shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261, of each town in the district by such town’s ranking, as determined in subdivision (1) of this subsection, (B) adding together the figures determined under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, and (C) dividing the total computed under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision by the total population of all towns in the district. The ranking of each regional board of education shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and each such board shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank, provided such percentage shall be increased in the case of a secondary regional school district by an additional five percentage points and, in the case of any other regional school district by an additional ten percentage points.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, and for each fiscal year thereafter, no local or regional board of education shall receive a grant of less than one thousand dollars.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2019, inclusive, the amount of transportation grants payable to local or regional boards of education shall be reduced proportionately if the total of such grants in such year exceeds the amount appropriated for such grants for such year.

(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Commissioner of Education may provide grants, within available appropriations, in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars per pupil, to local and regional boards of education and regional educational service centers that transport (A) out-of-district students to a technical education and career school located in Hartford, or (B) Hartford students attending a technical education and career school or a regional agricultural science and technology education center outside of the district, to assist the state in meeting the goals of the 2008 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O’Neill, et al., as extended, or the goals of the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O’Neill, et al., as extended, as determined by the commissioner, for the costs associated with such transportation.

(6) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, in addition to the reimbursements and grants payable under subdivisions (1) to (5), inclusive, of this subsection, the Commissioner of Education shall provide a grant when (A) two or more boards of education enter into a cooperative agreement in accordance with section 10-158a to transport students to schools operated by the boards of education during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and (B) such cooperative arrangement results in a savings, as determined by the commissioner, over the transportation costs incurred by the boards of education during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. This grant, which shall be returned to the municipalities in which the participating boards of education are located in accordance with the terms of the written cooperative arrangement, shall be equal to half of the difference in the amount the boards of education would have been reimbursed in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, for pupil transportation costs but for the savings realized in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, pursuant to the cooperative arrangement.

(b) A cooperative arrangement established pursuant to section 10-158a which provides transportation in accordance with said section shall be reimbursed for a percentage of such transportation costs in accordance with its ranking pursuant to this subsection. The ranking shall be determined by (1) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261, of each town in the cooperative arrangement by such town’s ranking as determined pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (2) adding such products, and (3) dividing such sum by the total population of all towns in the cooperative arrangement. The ranking of each cooperative arrangement shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and each cooperative arrangement shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as a town with the same rank.

(P.A. 79-128, S. 23, 36; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-4, S. 6, 8; P.A. 85-476, S. 3, 6; P.A. 86-71, S. 2, 11; P.A. 89-355, S. 11, 20; P.A. 92-262, S. 29, 42; P.A. 93-133, S. 2, 3; P.A. 96-178, S. 4, 18; P.A. 97-247, S. 18, 27; 97-290, S. 27, 29; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 9; P.A. 05-245, S. 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3, S. 4; P.A. 08-170, S. 12; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 23; P.A. 10-167, S. 2; P.A. 11-48, S. 182; 11-136, S. 20; P.A. 14-217, S. 97, 108; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 252, 317; P.A. 17-237, S. 81; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 581.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-4 amended Subsec. (b) clarifying that total population figures, as defined in Sec. 10-261, are to be used to determine percentage of costs to be reimbursed; P.A. 85-476 amended section to specify that reimbursement percentage is determined by ranking, to provide that ranking is to be rounded to next higher whole number and to provide for reimbursement at same percentage as for a town with the same rank; P.A. 86-71 in Subsec. (a) provided for increasing the percentage in accordance with Sec. 10-97 and in Subsec. (b) substituted percentage points for per cent re increases for regional school districts; P.A. 89-355 in Subsec. (a) changed the reimbursement percentage sliding scale of 20% to 70% to 10% to 60%; P.A. 92-262 amended Subsec. (a) to add reference to Sec. 2-32a and to substitute zero for ten; P.A. 93-133 replaced alphabetic Subdiv. indicators with numerics and numeric Subpara. indicators with alphabetics, amended Subdiv. (1)(B) to add the two categories of towns based on their ranking and to assign a percentage of zero for the towns ranked from one to thirteen and to limit the existing percentage of not less than zero nor more than 60% to towns ranked from fourteen to one hundred sixty-nine and made technical changes in Subdivs. (1) and (2), effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 96-178 amended Subdiv. (1) to make the existing Subpara. (B) into (i), adding (ii) re assignment of percentage for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, and each fiscal year thereafter, and added Subdiv. (3) requiring minimum grant of $1,000 for each local or regional board of education, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-247 designated the existing section as Subsec. (a), adding reference to Sec. 10-158a and making a technical change, and added Subsec. (b) re cooperative arrangements, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 97-290 added reference to Sec. 10-66ee, effective July 1, 1997; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (4) re proportional reduction of grants for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-245 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to extend the proportional reduction of grants through the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-3 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-170 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (5) re grants that assist in meeting goals of stipulation re Sheff v. O’Neill, effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(1), amended Subsec. (a)(4) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and amended Subsec. (a)(5) to add Subpara. (A) re transportation of out-of-district students to technical high schools located in Hartford and to designate as Subpara. (B) provision re Hartford students attending technical high school or regional agricultural science and technology education center outside of district, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-167 added Subsec. (a)(6) re additional grant available for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, when 2 or more boards of education enter into cooperative agreements to transport students and realize savings, effective June 7, 2010; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “this section” with “this subsection” in Subdivs. (2) and (3), effective July 8, 2011; P.A. 14-217 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by replacing reference to June 30, 2013, with reference to June 30, 2015, effective June 13, 2014, and amended Subsec. (a)(5) by adding “as extended, or the goals of the 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O’Neill, et al.”, effective July 1, 2014; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2017, in Subdiv. (4) and to add “as extended” re 2013 stipulation and order for Milo Sheff, et al. v. William A. O’Neill, et al. in Subdiv. (5), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsec. (a)(5) by replacing references to technical high school and technical high school with references to technical education and career school and making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2017; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to extend proportional reduction of grants through fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, effective October 31, 2017.