Contact Information

Norah Lujan- Specialist 
(505) 880-8249 ext. 198

Gerry Hixon- Secretary

(505) 880-8249 ext. 170

Should a parent choose to transfer their child to another school due to their home schools current adequate yearly progress rating they may do so under certain conditions.  Under School Choice parents have the opportunity to transfer their child from a school that is in need of improvement to a school that is not in need of improvement.  If the parents are transferring their child out of a Title I school that is in need of improvement, they may qualify for mileage reimbursement under this program.

What makes my child’s transfer school eligible for this program?

Your child must have a transfer to a school that is not in need of improvement as outlined by the public education department criteria.  We will run a query of your home address to determine your home school.  Based on your home school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and its Title I status we will then be able to determine whether or not your child’s new school is eligible. 

How do I qualify for mileage reimbursement?

A parent simply needs to verify that their transfer school meets the qualifications as outlined under the federal guidance for the school choice program. Call the Title I offices at 880-8249 ext. 198.

Letters are sent out to qualifying families in the beginning of the school year. If you did not receive a letter, call us to verify your eligibility! The necessary paperwork and verification documents are then filled out and provided to our offices. After we have processed your paperwork and found you to be eligible for the program, you will begin receiving mileage reimbursement checks in the mail.

Do charter schools qualify for this program?

Yes, charter schools are considered a qualifying “transfer school.”  Although you did not need a transfer to go to the charter school, you will need to show proof of enrollment into this charter school.  The charter school must meet AYP to qualify

Does the transfer school or charter school need to be a Title I school?

No, the transfer or charter school does not need to be a Title I school.  Only the school that you are transferring out of needs to be a Title I school.

How much is the mileage reimbursement?

The guidelines provide .35 cents per mile reimbursement round trip, from home school location to transfer school location.  From APS to APS schools we use a district mileage reimbursement table; from APS schools to charter schools we use mapquest to calculate the mileage.  There is a maximum reimbursement of $10.00 per day.

What if my child is absent from school one day?  When do I receive my check in the mail?

We calculate your mileage reimbursement based on your child’s attendance at school.  Our data services department runs an attendance report for us monthly.  Charter School fax in a monthly attendance report to us.  Checks are cut the end of the following month after attendance is calculated.  Example:  February’s check will arrive in your mailbox the end of March and so forth.

What if I have more than one child attending an eligible school site?

We ask that you enroll all children in your household into the program.  This way, if one child is absent from school that day you can still receive reimbursement for the other children you transport.

I have children that attend elementary and middle school, how do you calculate the route?

We calculate the route using mapquest and we calculate the most logical route.  We start with the school that has the first bell in the morning and proceed with the route from that point forward.

I was part of this program last year, why do I have to reapply again?

Each year, most school ratings change; therefore the qualifying factors for the school combinations change.  People personal information changes as well.  Your personal documents are boxed up and archived in a secure location each year when the program ends.  We are, by federal law, required to keep these documents on hand for 5 years.  On year 6, all documents are shredded at our APS facility site.

Why do I need to bring in several documents as proof of address?

We require several documents for this program.  Since this is a federally funded program we are open to audits on a regular basis.  We are obligated to show that a good faith effort has been made to establish a valid address for the individual receiving reimbursement.  There is also APS board policy in place to support these requirements.

What documents do I need to bring into your offices?   Can I fax or email documents?

You need to bring documents to us once, in person, to verify your identity with your driver’s license.  After the initial intake with us you are welcome to fax or email us additional information.  Documents required are:

When is the deadline to apply for this program?

We accept applications from August 1 of the current school year through the end of the first semester.  Beginning in January of the second semester we no longer accept applications for the program.  We will pay retroactive mileage reimbursement for the current year.  For example, your child’s school started on August 17^th but you did not apply until October 15^th.  With proper proof of valid car insurance beginning August 17^th and other necessary documentation we can enroll you in the program and pay you retroactive to August 17^th.