Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Laredo ISD's TEA route-services report shows lower allotment despite higher mileage; district cites ridership and program mix
Summary
District transportation staff presented the TEA route services report for 2024-25 showing an overall allotment decline driven by eligibility rules and a 38% drop in a CTE-related rate; staff said mileage increased but eligible ridership decreased and the district remains cost-efficient on per-mile measures.
LAREDO, Texas ' Laredo ISD transportation staff presented the district's TEA route services report for 2024-25, reporting a decrease in state reimbursement despite an increase in district mileage.
Alexis Solis, who presented the report, said the district's overall allotment fell about 6% year over year to roughly $507,000, while eligible mileage increased by about 17 percent. Solis said the district's average daily eligible ridership declined by about 268 students (roughly 10 percent) and that TEA's Career & Technical Education (CTE) per-mile allotment rate fell from $6.34 to $3.28 for the 2024-25 report.
"Our mileage increased due to growing demand of the McKinney Vento program, which requires service outside Laredo ISD boundary for a small number of students," Solis said. She added eligible ridership fell because of overall district enrollment decreases and lower use of regular education routes.
Solis explained the allotment is based on eligible miles as defined by TEA (for example, eligibility rules that consider distance from campus). She said a lower cost-per-mile may reflect increased efficiency: "This rate is a total cost per mile for our operation from the previous year, which means our cost per mile decreased for the 2425 school year." Solis told trustees the district is making efficient use of drivers and routing even as reimbursement formulas shift.
Trustees asked whether a lower per-mile rate means the district is performing well; Solis said a lower rate indicates cost efficiency but also cautioned that reimbursement depends on TEA's formula and eligible-mile definitions. Trustees and staff also discussed program overlap (for example, students counted for CTE and regular programs) and internal operational steps to ensure accurate attendance rosters for reporting days.
Solis said the transportation office submitted the bus-collision report and will deliver an operations report later that will determine next year's cost-per-mile calculation for TEA reimbursement.
