It is policy that Northeast Tech (“NT”) will reimburse employees and board members for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred while traveling or otherwise conducting authorized school business.

All requests for overnight travel must be approved by the employee’s supervisor prior to leaving campus. NT will reimburse the employee or board member for actual reasonable and customary transportation, lodging, registration, and miscellaneous expenses. Meals and tips will be reimbursed on a per diem basis. When another agency or organization reimburses the employee, NT will not reimburse for any other cost unless approved by the superintendent in advance.

All required receipts must be dated and signed by the employee/board member and generally must be submitted within two weeks after the final day upon which such expenses were incurred.

All requests for reimbursement of expenses shall be submitted to the Superintendent’s office. Expense reports submitted after the third week in June may be denied for payment if dollars were not previously encumbered for travel.

If an employee or board member will be in travel status during the last week of June, a completed Request for Travel form must be submitted to Superintendent’s office prior to the third week of June.

Authorization

When travel involves expense to the district such as registration, hiring a substitute teacher or travel status reimbursement, a “Request for Travel” form must be completed by the employee and approved by the assistant superintendent responsible for the area, with final approval being given by the superintendent or director of finance prior to any arrangements being confirmed. Proof of conference/meeting dates must be attached to the “Request for Travel” form. The form shall clearly identify when the employee/board member shall begin and end travel status.

Transportation to Approved Meetings

Airfare will not be confirmed prior to 90 days from date of travel unless a circumstance occurs resulting in substantial savings to NT and the employee/board member can assure travel will occur. The least expensive rate of travel available will be used when appropriate. If an individual fail to use an airline ticket purchased by NT, he/she will be responsible for the cost incurred by NT.

The extension of conference dates will be considered leave time, which must have prior approval, and applicable expenses will be non-reimbursable. Any receipts incurred outside the geographic area of the conference will be non-reimbursable, unless incurred in transit to or from the conference, and in accordance with the Policy.

Airport Shuttle, Bus or Taxi: The least expensive form of travel from the airport to the lodging or conference/business destination should be used when appropriate.

Rental Car: When rental cars are used, the lowest available rate that meets the transportation need should be used. Full liability and damage insurance must be ordered. (Note: The request for travel must state the reason that a rental car is necessary.) Approval to rent a car must be obtained prior to departure. Receipts for public transportation and rental vehicles must be presented to NT as a condition to reimbursement.

Personal Vehicle (Employee Travel): The Board of Education recognizes the need for some school employees to use their own vehicles for school purposes when no school vehicle is available. If NT’s vehicles are unavailable, a personal car may be used. If a personal car is used for any other reason, prior approval is required. Mileage reimbursement shall not exceed the cost of traveling via air. The travel expense voucher must specify the business mileage in order to receive reimbursement of mileage expenses. Mileage reimbursement is the current IRS mileage allowance for business miles, plus tolls and parking charges. Reimbursement is not made for any traffic violations. An employee will be reimbursed when using his or her own vehicle for school business upon completion of a Travel Expense Voucher. Employees must have a valid driver’s license to drive a vehicle for NT purposes. Employees must have adequate insurance when using personal vehicles for conducting school business. The Board specifically forbids any employee to transport students for school purposes without prior authorization by the superintendent or designee. No student will be sent on school errands with his or her own automobile, an employee’s vehicle, or a NT-owned vehicle.

Use of School Cars

School vehicles will not be checked out for personal use. All vehicle requests must go through the campus director. Campus guidelines must be adhered to when checking out school vehicles for school business. The campus director handles this process.

Combined Personal and Business Travel

Transportation and other expenses will be reimbursed only to and from the business destination, and for the purpose and period of the business activity. Expenses for a non-NTC employee will not be reimbursed.

Travel Itemized Expenses

Lodging: The cost of reasonable single-room accommodations in a hotel or motel at or near the place of business activity will be reimbursed. Receipts are required as a condition to reimbursement.

Service items: Service items are not reimbursable. This includes personal items such as cable movies, safe charges and other incidentals.

Room Charges: Meals and incidentals may be charged to the room in which you are staying and will be paid for by the individual when checking out of the hotel/motel. Reimbursement for meals may not exceed the per diem rate.

Travel Expenses: Per Diem System for Meals

Meals and Meal Tips: While in overnight travel status, meals and tips are reimbursed by NT using a “Per Diem” system. Receipts are not required for meals and tips under this system. This applies only to employees and board members in overnight travel status.

Travel Status: Per Diem System for Overnight Travel

The rules for determining when an employee/board member begins and ends travel status are as follows:

BEGIN: The time when an employee/board member must reasonably leave the campus or the home in order to obtain transportation which will allow the employee/board member to reach the destination by the beginning of the business activity.

END: The time when an employee/board member must reasonably return to the campus or home determines the end of travel status.

Baggage: The district will pay one checked bag fee per employee for a one-way trip. If traveling round trip, the district will pay one checked bag fee to your destination and one checked bag fee for your return trip. Any additional checked bags must be pre-approved. Oversize and overweight bag fees do not apply to reimbursement.

Per Diem Rates

The per diem rate will be the rate as published from time to time by the IRS as the amount of a meals allowance for the geographic region in which the employee/board member is traveling, which amount does not require monetary substantiation. Reimbursements for meals away from NT’s business premises will be made for only those days on which the employee’s/board member’s travel is away from home, and the employee/board member (a) could not leave from his principal location of duty or return to that location before or after each day’s work, or (b) needed sleep or rest to conduct his business activities. For less than three meals per day in travel status, the percentage of the allowable per diem (including tips) is as follows:

• Breakfast 20%

• Lunch 35%

• Dinner 45%

• TOTAL 100%

If NT pays for a meal as part of registration for the employee/board member, the per diem allocation for that meal is not reimbursed.

The employee/board member shall submit no receipts for meals and tips. The appropriate allocation for each meal shall be logged onto the employee’s/board member’s travel expense voucher based on the per diem rate for that meal.

Sometimes an employee/board member is in a situation where he/she is buying a meal for a guest of NT and the meal is directly related to NT’s business. Reimbursement for the guest’s meal would be in addition to per diem reimbursement and must be supported by an itemized receipt. The name of the guest and a description of the business purpose of the expenditure must be provided in writing and attached to a receipt for the meal that is purchased for the guest.

No Travel Advances

It is policy that advances for travel expenses shall not be made by NT.

Expense Reports

Expenses will be reimbursed only when reported in accordance with these guidelines on the appropriate form and with proper receipts attached.

• The “Request for Travel” form must be filled out completely which includes the cost amounts.

• All receipts must be signed by the individual. The assistant superintendent and superintendent or director of finance must sign the expense report of all employees.

• Receipts are required for all travel expenses except for employee/board member meals and tips.

• The appropriate per diem amount for each meal shall be entered on the expense voucher for each day the employee/board member was in travel status.

• Expense report vouchers should be submitted on a timely basis, within two weeks of the completion of the trip, unless unusual circumstances reasonably warrant an immaterial extension of the submission limit, but the extension shall not exceed one calendar week.

August Conference Supplemental Reimbursement

In lieu of other travel reimbursement, employees covered by the Institutional Membership attending the entire OKACTE Summer conference shall be eligible to receive a stipend of $700 for conferences in OKC or $300 for conferences in Tulsa. Employees with assigned school vehicles who receive a W-2 will be given a stipend reimbursement of $500 for conferences in OKC or $30 for conferences in Tulsa. Employees attending anything other than the typical conference will be paid a stipend amount calculated on a prorated basis by the Superintendent.

To be eligible for an applicable stipend, the employee must complete a travel request prior to the conference. Upon return, the employee will be required to complete a travel reimbursement form attaching the signed attendance verification form and registration receipt.

All travel reimbursement forms must be received in the office of the Director of Finance by October 1 of each year to receive the stipend. Any dispute or disagreement regarding the applicability of this policy will be resolved by the Superintendent.

Approved by the Board of Education, May 17, 1999
Amended 06-28-99, 10-18-99, 02-17-04, 10-17-06, 08-11-08, 07-06-09, 06-14-10, 05-14-12, 04-08-19, 04-13-20, 01-12-21, 06-13-22