Section 120.200  Definitions

"Affidavit" means a written statement signed by the custodian in which it is stated that to the best knowledge and belief of the custodian, the pupil transportation expenses claimed for the school year indicated are accurate.

"Contemporaneous records" means documentary evidence of expenditures or mileage accumulated for pupil transportation, such as cancelled checks, receipts from public or private carriers, or calculations based on odometer readings.

"Custodian" means an Illinois resident who is the parent, or parents, or legal guardian of a qualifying pupil (Section 29-5.2 of the School Code).

"Full-time pupil enrolled in kindergarten" means a pupil enrolled either in a full‑day or a half-day kindergarten program.

"1½ miles distance" means the distance from the exit of the property where the pupil resides to the point where pupils are normally unloaded at the school attended; that distance shall be measured by determining the shortest distance on normally traveled roads or streets.  (Section 29-3 of the School Code)

"Qualifying pupil" means an individual who:

is a resident of the State of Illinois; and

is under the age of 21 at the close of the school year for which reimbursement is sought; and

during the school year for which reimbursement is sought, was a full-time pupil enrolled in a kindergarten through 12^th grade educational program; and

either:

did not live within 1½ miles from the school in which the pupil was enrolled or have access to transportation provided entirely at public expense to and from that school and a point within 1½ miles of the pupil's residence, measured in a manner consistent with Section 29-3 of the School Code; or

lived within 1½ miles from the school in which the pupil was enrolled as measured in a manner consistent with Section 29-3 of the School Code and either:

attends public school in a school district organized under Article 34 of the School Code and must walk or otherwise travel along a safe passage route, as designated by the school board, to reach school or return home; or

did not have access to transportation provided entirely at public expense to and from that school, and conditions were such that walking would have constituted a serious hazard to the safety of the pupil due to vehicular traffic or railroad crossings (Sections 29-3 and 29-5.2 of the School Code).

"Qualified transportation expenses" means costs reasonably incurred by the custodian to transport, for the purposes of attending regularly scheduled day-time classes, a qualifying pupil between the qualifying pupil's residence and the school at which the qualifying pupil is enrolled and shall include automobile expenses at the standard mileage rate allowed by the United States Internal Revenue Service as reimbursement for business transportation expense, as well as payments to mass transit carriers or private carriers and contractual fees for transportation (Section 29-5.2 of the School Code).

"Regional office of education" has the meaning set forth in Article 3A of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 3A] and includes the chief administrative officer of the educational service centers established pursuant to Section 2-3.62 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.62].

"Regularly scheduled daytime classes" means classes that are scheduled during the normal school day as defined by the district, are taken for academic credit, or count towards graduation.  Elective or extracurricular classes that are held outside the normal school day are not "regularly scheduled daytime classes".

"School" means a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school in Illinois, attendance at which satisfies the requirements of Section 26-1 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/26-1] (Section 29-5.2(b)(3) of the School Code).

"Serious safety hazard" means conditions in which walking would have constituted a serious hazard to the safety of the pupil due to vehicular traffic or railroad crossings, as determined by the Illinois Department of Transportation pursuant to 92 Ill. Adm. Code 557 (Custodial Transportation of Pupils Where Walking Constitutes a Serious Safety Hazard) (Section 29-3 of the School Code).

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 10026, effective June 30, 2015)