BOCC approves extension of school-stability transportation agreement

The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 11 voted to approve an extension of an intergovernmental agreement that governs transportation cost-sharing when children in the Department of Human Services custody are placed outside their home school area.

Rudy Martinez, the protective services program administrator for Pueblo County Department of Human Services, said the IGA allows a best-interest determination meeting to decide whether a child remains at their current school. "If it's determined that the child remain in their schools, this IGA addresses the cost sharing for transportation," Martinez said, adding that the state pays 80 percent, the school district 10 percent and Pueblo County 10 percent of the remaining local share. Martinez told commissioners the county paid $2,830 for the program between last February and this February.

Martinez said districts initiate the billing process: the district sends the state for the 80 percent reimbursement and then sends the county the remaining local share. Commissioners asked how many students used the service; Martinez said there were about five students in one exchange and another speaker later mentioned three, indicating the service is used rarely.

A motion to approve the extension carried with commissioners voting "aye." The resolution extends the existing IGA under the same terms, with no changes to the fundamental cost-sharing formula reported to the board.

The agreement is intended to maintain educational continuity for children placed outside their home-school area while allocating transportation costs among state, district and county budgets.