Transportation
Parents are responsible to provide transportation to and from school in the nonresident school district, except that transportation required in a child’s IEP must be provided by the nonresident school district. A nonresident or resident school district is permitted (but not required) to provide transportation to open enrolled pupils, however the nonresident school district is prohibited from picking up or dropping off a pupil within the boundaries of the pupil’s resident school district unless the resident school district agrees.
Bulletin 14-08 – Statutes Concerning Open Enrollment Transportation
Transportation Reimbursement
Low-income parents may apply to the DPI for reimbursement of a portion of their transportation costs.
- Information About Filing an Open Enrollment Transportation Reimbursement Claim
- Open Enrollment Transportation Reimbursement Data
- Transportation Reimbursement Online Form – open from June 1 to July 15
Parents may indicate on their open enrollment application form that they intend to apply for reimbursement. Shortly after the beginning of the school term, DPI will send information about how to file a claim. If a parent did not request reimbursement at the time of applying for open enrollment, the parent should contact DPI and we will send information about filing a claim.
Eligibility
Low-income is defined as eligible for free or reduced price lunch under the school lunch program. Income eligibility guidelines for July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025 are:
Household Size |
Yearly Income |
Monthly Income |
Household Size |
Yearly Income |
Monthly Income |
1 |
$27,861 |
$2,322 |
5 |
$67,673 |
$5,640 |
2 |
$37,814 |
$3,152 |
6 |
$77,626 |
$6,469 |
3 |
$47,767 |
$3,981 |
7 |
$87,579 |
$7,299 |
4 |
$57,720 |
$4,810 |
8 |
$97,532 |
$8,128 |
For each additional household member, add |
+$9,953 |
+$830 |
Calculation of Reimbursement
Only transportation to and from the regular school day is reimbursable. Additional trips to and from school for extra-curricular activities, parent-teacher conferences, etc. may not be reimbursed. Transportation to and from an alternate site (i.e. day care or a bus pick-up point) may be reimbursed, as long as the miles do not exceed the number of miles from home to school.
The maximum reimbursement per pupil for the 2023-24 school year was $1,103.76. However, the DPI expects to receive many more claims than it has money, so it is estimated that payments will be prorated as low as 15%. As a result, the maximum reimbursement per pupil may be as low as $165.56. Claims are paid by miles, not by children. If two or more children are transported at the same time, those miles are only reimbursed once, although transporting more children may increase the maximum.
For example, here are the calculations for one and two children using the same number of round trips and days transported:
|
One child |
Two children |
Number of miles per round trip |
5 |
10 |
x Number of round trips per day |
x 2 |
x 2 |
x Number of days transported |
x 180 |
x 180 |
= Total number of miles |
= 3,600 miles |
= 3,600 miles |
x 36.5 cents per mile |
x .365 |
x .365 |
= Total Mileage Cost |
$657.00 |
$1,314.00 |
Maximum Reimbursement = $1,103.76 x number of children |
$1,103.76 |
$2,207.52 |
Eligible Reimbursement = the lesser of the Total Mileage Cost or the Maximum Reimbursement |
$657.00 |
$1,103.76 |
Estimated Prorated Payment at 15% |
$98.55 |
$165.57 |
Claims and Payment
Claims should be filed as soon as the school term ends, but must be filed on or before July 15, 2025.
Contact Us: Email: openenrollment@dpi.wi.gov or call toll-free: 888-245-2732