Administrative Letters
A025 - Travel Guidelines
Administrative Letter #25 Conference Guidelines - Approved 08-2008. Updated: 08-20-13; 04-27-16; 11-28-18; 01-18-19; 9-27-21; 5-25-22; 9-19-22
DATE: Reviewed and Updated September 19, 2022 – Brent Bills
REGARDING: Travel Procedures
Washington County School District Travel Procedures
Purpose:
Student and employee travel is required to fulfill the mission of the School District. These procedures are to help ensure that District assets are used appropriately for District travel.
Out-of-District Travel:
All out-of-District travel requires Executive Staff approval. This approval will be received through the submission of a travel request. Travel requests must be approved before travel is booked. Employee out-of-state travel requests must be submitted at least 45-days prior to the scheduled date of the conference for approval. The itinerary must be submitted with the travel request.
Travel within 120 miles of St George is considered in-state travel for the purposes of this letter.
“Conference meetings” include trainings, collaborations, roundtable events, etc. They do not include social events or team building events that are recreational in nature.
Lodging:
Actual room costs will be covered for employees only. Hotel rooms should only be booked for the length of the conference or work related meetings.
In-State:
Lodging will be booked off the Approved Hotel List within the State of Utah. Lodging will be booked at the pre-negotiated rates. Before a hotel is booked that is not on the list or at a different rate than the list rate, prior approval must be received in writing from the Travel Auditor.
If conference meetings begin before 11 a.m. a hotel room may be booked for the previous night. If conference meetings end after 4 p.m. a room may be booked for that evening.
In cases of weather related problems, exceptions can be granted by the Travel Auditor.
Out-of-State:
When attending a conference with a conference hotel, the conference hotel may be booked if it is booked at the conference rate (a special rate being offered to conference attendees).
Otherwise:
Hotels under $130 do not need competitive bids.
Hotels over $130 must be accompanied by 2 oral bids. Understand that our goal is to be frugal with District funds. Employees should make efforts to find the best available rate when booking hotels/motels.
If the total amount of the hotel room(s) is greater than $1000.00, two oral bids must be obtained and attached to the hotel billing. When the amount of lodging for a room(s) exceeds $5000.00, three oral bids are required and must be attached to the hotel billing.
A hotel room may be booked for the night before the first day of meetings at the conference. If conference meetings end after noon a room may be booked for that evening. Exceptions can be granted by the Travel Auditor.
Mileage:
District vehicles should be used when available.
With the high cost of fuel, an additional $.04 per mile will be paid on all mileage rates. (5-25-22)
In-District:
Mileage will be reimbursed at $0.40 per mile.
Administrators will only be reimbursed for mileage if it is greater than 20 miles round trip.
Out-of-District:
Mileage may be compensated up to $0.32 per mile if a District car is available but the employee chooses to drive a personal vehicle. If a District car is not available, employees may be compensated up to $0.52 per mile. When more than one administrator/staff is attending, staff shall carpool to the maximum extent possible. If staff are driving personal vehicles instead of carpooling, mileage may be compensated up to $0.32 per mile.
Car Rental/Ground Travel:
Rental cars may only be booked when it is the most cost effective way to travel from lodging to meeting locations. Rental cars will not be approved if staying at a conference hotel. Rental cars must receive prior approval through a travel request.
Reimbursement for ground travel to and from airport/hotel is authorized.
Food:
Out of District:
Food in-state will be $54.00 per diem.
Food out-of-state will be a $54.00 per diem.
Food that is provided as part of the conference must be deducted from the food allowance:
Breakfast - $13.00 in-state, $13.00 out-of-state
Lunch - 15.00 in-state, $15.00 out-of-state
Dinner - $26.00 in-state, $26.00 out-of-state
An additional $7.00 per day will be added for trips to:
Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington D.C.
An additional $17.00 per day will be added for trips to:
Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
In-District:
Per diem will not be paid in district. Meals may be provided in accordance with administrative letter #85.
Flights:
Flights to SLC should be booked through Christopherson Travel.
For all other flights, two oral bids must be obtained showing comparable flights from different airlines. Bids out of St. George must be accompanied by two similar bids out of Las Vegas. St. George flights must be within $150 of Las Vegas flights, or flights must be booked out of Las Vegas.
The District will pay for standard economy (main cabin) seats. The District will pay for one checked bag per employee only. The District will not pay for upgraded seats or early boarding.
Charter Buses:
All out-of-state student travel must use a charter bus or rental vehicle. Before booking a charter bus, an approved travel request must be obtained. Charter buses may only be booked from the Approved Charter Bus List.
Conference Fees and Association Dues:
State and national association dues will be paid for one association for administrators.
Annual conference and rotation conference dues are to be paid out of the travel allotment for the conference.
Out-of-State Conference Approval:
Principal Rotation Conference:
Principals and vice-principals are assigned on a three-year rotation schedule. New administrators are assigned, generally, at the bottom of the rotation schedule. Vice-principals who move to a principal position keep their same rotation schedule.
Rotation assignments may be delayed one-year if written request is made in advance. Conference “trades” must be approved in advance.
If the conference rotation falls on the last year of an administrator’s employment, the conference should be attended early in the school year, i.e., fall or winter.
Pre-conferences must be prior approved and will not be funded by the District, unless in place of the regular conference. Other training may be considered in place of national conferences, and generally should relate to school goals.
Administrators are responsible to keep their conference expenses within budget.
Academic Conferences:
Academic conferences require approval from the executive staff. Form #(706) is required to be submitted at least 90 days before the conference.
Academic conferences are for:
• training on new programs.
• training on substantial changes in existing programs.
• changes in personnel who are responsible for training or administering programs.
Train the trainer model should be used with these conferences, minimizing attendance.
Professional Development Conferences:
Requires approval from assistant superintendent or above.
A professional development conference provides one of the following:
• technical training for non-academic personnel.
• individuals who require training on laws, rules, and policies to accomplish their jobs.
• training for specific assignments
Care should be taken to minimize the number of attendees for these conferences.
Receipts:
Receipts are required for everything but food. Mileage should be reported, if it is to be reimbursed, and those accompanying the traveler should also be reported.
These guidelines will be reviewed annually.