OSSE-DOT start of school reminders and reimbursement process

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On August 10, 2023August 3, 2023By In Blog, Custom, Donations, News

As many families know, OSSE continues to struggle to transport students to school and the start of the school is often a particular challenge.  AJE encourages families to make sure that their address is correct at their child’s school, and if they attend a nonpublic school,  at the school and at their LEA.

Transportation requests for students returning to the same LEA were due Monday, June 5, so if your child remained in the same LEA, their transportation request should have been filed with OSSE-DOT by now.  You can call or email the school to confirm if you have not done so already.
Students’ first day of school transportation may be impacted if their school does not submit a correct transportation request 13 business days prior to your LEA’s first day of school.  Therefore AJE strongly encourages parents to double-check with their children’s school (and LEA if at a non-public) to confirm that transportation is properly set up for the correct address.  We know this is extra work for families, and something parents should not have to do.  We do not make this recommendation lightly, but our experience has shown us that it can make a big difference and increase the probability of a smoother start to the year.

 

REMINDER – OSSE has shared that parents will be reimbursed if your student’s bus is listed here and you wish to self-transport or utilize ride-share.  If your child has experienced routine service delays this year, including during ESY, OSSE has also shared that you are eligible for parent reimbursement.  Parent reimbursements are eligible for self-travel and full ride-share costs (e.g., Uber/Lyft) for commutes to and from school.  AJE encourages families to submit if they have self-transported even if they are not sure they are eligible.  AJE can help you complete these forms and help you submit them if needed.

OSSE DOT has raised the reimbursement rate to $1.48/mile.  OSSE reports that this is the current rate per mile of the ridesharing service Uber. OSSE reports that they used Uber because parents may use a ride-sharing service to self-transport if OSSE DOT is unable to provide service, and chose the per-mile rate for Uber XL to accommodate those that may need to utilize a larger vehicle if their child requires a wheelchair to transport.  This rate increase will take effect immediately and will apply to all trips in which parents have self-transported their child since Aug. 29, 2022. For any previously submitted reimbursement request made, OSSE DOT will apply the new, higher rate and provide payment to families with no action required by parents. It will continue for the duration of the 2022-23 school year which ends on June 22, 2023.

If you want to apply for parent reimbursement, please complete the certification and W9 forms (see below links), then submit them using OSSE’s  BOX upload site.  If you want to submit via mail, send your documents via to US Postal Service to the attention of: OSSE DOT, 1050 1st St. NE, 2nd Floor, Washington DC 20002. If you submit by mail, we strongly encourage you to keep a copy of all documents you submit. 

OSSE reports that reimbursement processing may take up to 60 days, AJE strongly encourages families to submit their claims quickly, as we understand that parents have experienced delays in excess of 60 days.  AJE can help you complete these forms and help you submit them if needed.  Please note that while OSSE has simplified the process, parents still need to provide attendance documents and evidence of travel cost/distance.

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