It is the policy of the District that business travel must be approved in advance by an appropriate supervisor, Assistant Superintendent or the Superintendent as outlined below.  Employees traveling on District business are representatives of the District and are expected to maintain a high level of professionalism and follow all of the District’s policies.

Employee expenses for approved travel including Administrative Professional Development funds will be paid or reimbursed when properly documented by the employee and submitted to and approved two weeks in advance by the appropriate supervisor and District Finance Office personnel.

Employees who know or anticipate that they will have a special or unusual request for travel expense reimbursement should seek approval before the expense is incurred.

1. Mileage Reimbursement for Use of Employee’s Personal Automobile
   • 1.1 District employees are not permitted under any circumstances to operate a district or personal vehicle for district business when any physical or mental impairment causes the employee to be unable to drive safely.  This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, circumstances in which the employee is temporarily unable to operate a vehicle safely or legally because of illness, medication or intoxication.
   • 1.2 Employees who use their personal vehicle for approved District business purposes will receive a mileage allowance as negotiated by their respective employee group or approved in the annual District budget by the Board of Education.  Documentation including purpose and number of miles driven for employee use of their personal vehicle must be submitted monthly to and approved by the appropriate supervisor and District Finance Office personnel for reimbursement.  The mileage allowance is to compensate the employee for the costs of operating their personal vehicle including gasoline, oil, depreciation and insurance.
   • 1.3 Any negotiated travel allowance for a flat amount or reimbursement amount above the Internal Revenue Service optional mileage allowance will be reported on an employee’s annual Internal Revenue For W-2 as taxable income.  An employee may submit to the District Finance Office an accounting of the purpose and miles driven on District business purposes in lieu of reporting this allowance or a portion there of as income to the Internal Revenue Service.
2. Travel Outside of the District
   • 2.1 Employees may attend meetings, seminars, or conventions that will provide them with training for their current assignment or for acting in a position they hold with state or national associations affiliated with an employee’s district assignment and responsibilities.  All travel outside of the state must be approved by the Superintendent two weeks in advance of the travel date.
   • 2.2 Under normal circumstances, employees should use the most expedient mode of transportation available and book the least expensive fares.  They may stay at hotels offered under an organization’s meeting or convention program or stay in other moderately priced hotels.
   • 2.3 The employee will be reimbursed for out of pocket costs including airfare, hotel, car rental, parking and ground travel.  In addition, a per diem reimbursement for meals, tips and other costs not to exceed the Federal continental United States per diem rate (see attached summary of selected cities) nearest to the area to which the employee is traveling will be reimbursed.  Any travel expenses deemed unreasonable relative to the circumstances will not be paid or reimbursed and are the employee’s person responsibility.
   • 2.4 The district will reimburse an employee the lower of the airfare cost or the mileage rate amount if an employee chooses to use a personal vehicle to travel outside the district.  A ground travel allowance that would allow the employee to be reimbursed for travel between the airport and hotel may be added to the lowest reimbursement amount.  If travel is required to a location that does not have commercial airline service, the District will reimburse an employee for use of their personal vehicle with the approved mileage allowance
   • 2.5 Car rentals should be arranged with the Utah State Travel Office (telephone number 801- 5328-3103).  Car rentals booked through this agency include insurance coverage which means that the employee traveling will not need to add rental companies insurance coverage costs when they sign the rental agreement.  Additional insurance coverage added to rental contracts by employees while traveling on District business will not be reimbursed.
   • 2.6 An employee may obtain a cash advance for approved District business travel by submitting a written request to the District Finance Office.  Proper documentation of all actual expenses incurred by the employee except for the per diem allowance must be submitted to the District Finance Office within one month after the travel is completed.  Any cash advance that is not properly documented must be repaid by the employee to the District and will be deducted from the employee’s paycheck if not promptly repaid.  The employee is responsible for any cash advance lost or stolen.
3. Travel Within the State
   • 3.1 Any travel outside the District that does not require a District employee to leave the State of Utah must have the approval of the employee’s immediate supervisor or, when appropriate, an Assistant Superintendent prior to the trip according to the guidelines in this section.
   • 3.2 Travel that does not require an employee to stay overnight may be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor.  The employee will only be reimbursed for the use of a personal vehicle and any registration costs for meetings, seminars or conventions.
   • 3.3 Travel that does require an employee to stay overnight may be approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor and an Assistant Superintendent.

Approved by the Board 06/17/1998