3440A - JOB-RELATED EXPENSES

Van Buren Intermediate School District

Administrative Guidelines

3440A - JOB-RELATED EXPENSES

Expenses which are incurred by professional staff members as a result of authorized travel in and outside of the District will be reimbursed to the extent provided for in these guidelines. Reimbursement is intended to provide for transportation, lodging, and food of reasonable and adequate quality. When traveling on school business, a professional staff member is expected to use the same care in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business.

Authorization

Travel outside the State is to be authorized by the Board of Education.

All such requests must be submitted to the Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the date a decision is needed. Forms are available in each school office.

	B.	Travel within or outside the District, but within the State, is to be authorized by the program director.
	C.	Travel to conventions or conferences away from the District, but within the State which involve overnight stay will be authorized by the program supervisor for approval by the program director. All such requests must be received in the Central Office at least ten (10) days prior to the date a decision is needed. Forms are available in each school office. Travel to out-of-state meetings/conferences/conventions that requests an overnight stay must be authorized by the Superintendent. All requests for out-of-state travel must be made at least thirty (30) days prior to the conference date.

Procedure

	A.	Each request for travel or conference funds should detail the reasons for the expenditures and should not be labeled in broad general terms. (See Travel and Expense Guidelines Form)
	B.	Under normal conditions, officers, and professional staff members traveling on official business shall provide themselves with sufficient funds of their own for ordinary expenses.
	C.	Travel should be by the most direct and economical route.
	D.	All persons authorized to travel on official business should keep a memorandum and receipts of expenditures properly chargeable to the Board. Professional staff members might find it advantageous to charge as many expenditures as possible on credit cards.
	E.	For official travel other than by automobile, tickets shall be purchased by the District in advance.
	F.	In all instances of travel reimbursement, full itemization of expenditures is required.
	G.	Those doing such traveling should be expected to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that they would in travel on personal business of their own. Excessive and unnecessary travel will not be approved or reimbursed.

Reimbursement

	A.	Reimbursement for travel, rooms, meals, and other meeting expenses shall be made, within budgetary constraints, at the current rates approved by the Board and on the basis of itemized expense accounts and submitted on Monthly Expense Voucher Summary Form.
	B.	Travel outside the School District will be reimbursed at the regular fare rate charged the general public by common carrier, unless travel by private conveyance is more economical, in which case mileage will be reimbursed at the IRS rate. (If staff members attend meetings as a group, the allowance will be made accordingly.) Taxi fare from home and conference destination to terminal and return is allowable with receipt.
	C.	Lodging and meals will be reimbursed at a reasonable per diem rate.
	D.	Reimbursement for reasonable charges for tolls, lodging, parking, taxis, official telephone calls, and tips will be made upon presentation of supporting receipts.
	E.	Registration fees, exclusive of personal dues, are reimbursable.
	F.	Sales tax on hotel bills is reimbursable.
	G.	Reimbursement will not be made to staff members attending required professional meetings conducted by the District.

Revised 12/03
Revised 11/04
Revised 3/05