Reissued Mileage Reimbursement for Parents under 603 CMR 28.07(6)

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This memorandum replaces guidance issued on March 16, 2009. Please note the bold text has been updated.

I write this brief memo to provide you with the most current information on the mileage reimbursement for parents who:

1. Provide transportation for their child; and
2. The transported child is eligible for special education and requires special transportation according to the special education regulations at 603 CMR 28.05(5)(b); and
3. Transport is for school attendance and school-sponsored extracurricular activities; and
4. Transport occurs with the knowledge and agreement of the school district; and
5. The parent voluntarily provides transport.

Effective May 22, 2011, state employees are eligible to receive 45¢ per mile reimbursement. I remind you that the regulation at 603 CMR 28.07(6) requires that school districts reimburse parents at the same rate as state employees. Forty five cents per mile represents an increase of 5¢ over the previous rate of 40¢ per mile. The reason for the increase is the significant rise in the price of gasoline. Mileage is determined based on a direct route between the student's home and school. No parent is obligated to provide such transportation.

The Department has received questions regarding implementation of this regulation and provides the following additional guidance:

• This regulation pertains to parents providing transportation for their children who have "special transportation" listed in their IEPs, and does not pertain to students who do not require "special transportation."
• The reimbursement for parent-provided transportation pertains to school attendance and school-sponsored events, to the extent agreed upon by the district in advance.
• Parents are not eligible for reimbursement when providing transportation to a school event that is not either identified in the IEP or agreed to by the district in advance of the event.
• Typical reimbursement for school attendance is two round trips per day (getting to school and returning home) in a direct route between the student's home and school. However, if the parent is employed and provides transportation to the child on the way to or from work, transportation reimbursement is only for the distance between home and school when the student is in the vehicle.
• Parents are not eligible for reimbursement if the school has provided for transportation and the parent decides not to use it without previous agreement with the school district.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for sharing this information with parents in your school community, as appropriate.

Last Updated: June 1, 2011