A bill co-sponsored by state Rep. Steve D'Amico to reimburse cities and towns for extraordinary special education transportation costs received a formal hearing last week before the Joint Committee on Education.

"The costs of providing out-of-district transportation for special needs students can be extraordinary high," said D'Amico, D-Seekonk. "Spending $150 a day on transportation for just one student is not uncommon."

Currently, school districts are eligible for state reimbursement for 75 percent of special education costs that exceed four times the state average of the foundation budget per pupil.

The proposed bill would cover 80 percent of the costs above three times foundation spending and would, for the first time, include transportation spending.

"School officials in Rehoboth, Seekonk, Norton and Swansea have all expressed to me how burdensome these unfunded transportation mandates are," D'Amico said. "Our schools are only getting reimbursed for a portion of their true costs." Betsy Frey, director of transportation for Seekonk schools, agreed.

"Despite the fact that Seekonk manages to keep transportation costs relatively in check when compared to other cities and towns in Massachusetts, many students continue to require significant support, including specialized transportation to go to school," she said. "Mandated programming is often some distance from the school district."

Chances of the bill passing remain slim, however.

"I have to be honest, in this economy, with state revenues falling, it will be an uphill battle to get this passed this year," D'Amico said. "However, even if we are not successful today, we are setting the stage for the future. It usually takes several years for a reform to gain traction before it passes."

STEPHEN PETERSON can be reached at 508-236-0377 or at speterson@thesunchronicle.com.