AI-assisted research summary: The department must calculate transportation allocations for each school district and state-chartered charter school using a base amount, a variable amount, and an adjustment factor.
22-8-29.1. Calculation of transportation allocation. A. As used in this section: (1) "annual variables" means the coefficients calculated by regressing the total operational expenditures from two years prior to the current school year for each school district and state-chartered charter school using the number of students transported and the numerical value of site characteristics; provided that for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the coefficients shall be calculated by regressing the total operational expenditures from fiscal year 2019; (2) "base amount" means the fixed amount that is the same for all school districts and an amount established by rule for state-chartered charter schools; (3) "total operational expenditures" means the sum of all to-and-from school transportation expenditures, excluding expenditures incurred in accordance with the provisions of Section 22-8-27 NMSA 1978; and (4) "variable amount" means the sum of the product of the annual variables multiplied by each school district's or state-chartered charter school's numerical value of the school district's and state-chartered charter school's site characteristics multiplied by the number of days of operation for each school district or state-chartered charter school. B. The department shall calculate the transportation allocation for each school district and state-chartered charter school. C. The base amount is designated as product A. Product A is the constant calculated by regressing the total operational expenditures from the two years prior to the current school year for school district or state-chartered charter school operations using the numerical value of site characteristics approved by the department. The legislative education study committee and the legislative finance committee may review the site characteristics developed by the state transportation director prior to approval by the department. D. The variable amount is designated as product B. Product B is the predicted additional expenditures for each school district or state-chartered charter school based on the regression analysis using the site characteristics as predictor variables multiplied by the number of days. E. The allocation to each school district and state-chartered charter school shall be equal to product A plus product B. The adjustment factor shall be applied to the calculation. F. For the 2001-2002, 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years, the transportation allocation for each school district shall not be less than ninety-five percent or more than one hundred five percent of the prior school year's transportation expenditure. History: Laws 1995, ch. 208, § 10; 1999 (1st S.S.), ch. 11, § 3; 2001, ch. 350, § 1; 2006, ch. 94, § 20; 2021, ch. 130, § 2; 2022, ch. 9, § 2.