Transportation staff says CWU training clarified rules, reimbursement changes will affect bus budgeting

Amy, a Prosser School District transportation staff member, told the board the Central Washington University transportation management course "was an awesome class" and covered state regulations and operational standards the district must follow.

She said the course went "over lots of RCWs and WACs" and emphasized special-education transport differences, noting that "a 504 and an IEP are not the same thing" even though they "work together." Amy also flagged changes to state reimbursement and depreciation timelines that will affect how the district budgets for vehicles: she described the guidance as "going to go from 15 years or 13 years to 15 years" for school bus reimbursement and said minibuses typically depreciated over eight years would move toward a 10-year schedule. Amy told the board the Transportation Vehicle Fund (TVF) is intended for school buses and similar "yellow stuff," and that vehicles brought from out of state must meet Washington inspection and qualification requirements before being put into service.

Board members pressed on how the training applies to the district's new route-tracking system and on the practical implications of the extended depreciation windows. Amy said networking with other districts that run the same routing software was useful and that some districts have experience the Prosser staff can draw on. The board agreed to follow up with Jackson to provide additional details about installation and total costs for upcoming purchases.