Travel requests should be submitted at least 30 calendar days prior to departure. This will allow time for arrangements to be made and any prepayments to be processed and mailed.
A request to travel must first be filled out in it’s entirety, then submitted to the employee’s principal or supervisor and then, if required, to the appropriate program director for approval and budget code. The program director will then send the request to the superintendent/designee for final approval.
When the approved request is received in the business office, it will be checked for funds availability. If funds are not available in the budget category shown, then the request shall be returned to the principal or supervisor unprocessed. If no fund category is entered on the request, then the request shall also be returned to the principal or supervisor. An estimate of the expenses must also be included with each request (if no expenses fill in a zero); otherwise, the request shall be returned to the campus or department.
No travel arrangements or reservations shall be made until approval of a travel request is granted by the superintendent/designee, and funds availability is determined.
Advances for travel will not generally be allowed. The district will prepay transportation costs, lodging costs, fees, and tuition, thus eliminating the need to carry cash for these items. Employees are expected to use their own cash or credit cards for meals and other incidental expenses. The business office will issue a reimbursement check to the employee after board approval the second board meeting of each month, so there should be little or no risk to the employee of additional interest expense on credit card purchases. In extreme cases an advance may be allowed, but pre-approval must be given by the employee’s immediate supervisor and the business manager.
Employees will be allowed the cost of local transportation by taxi, subway, street car or other public carrier from an airport and from lodging accommodations to business appointments and return. All expenses must be supported by itemized receipts. Any unsupported costs will be disallowed. Employees will be allowed reasonable costs for taxis, subways, street cars, or other public carriers.
Employees are to use district vehicles (if available) and to combine rides to conferences and meetings. However, in the event a district vehicle is unavailable, employees using a privately owned vehicle shall be reimbursed at the rate set by the State of Wyoming. If actual mileage is not recorded on the expense claim form, then Wyoming Transportation maps shall be used to determine the distance between points of departure and arrival.
Employees will be allowed actual and reasonable costs of lodging and meals. All allowable costs must be detailed upon return on the form provided.Expenses for lodging and meals must be supported in full by itemized receipts. Unsupported expenses will be disallowed. When determining reasonableness of expenses for meals, the district will use the following benchmarks for each meal as indicated: (http://gsa.gov/).
Employees will be allowed expenses incurred for telephone calls made in connection with official school district business. These costs must be supported by documentation identifying the purpose of the phone call.
If reservations (airline or lodging) are not used, then the employee is responsible for calling to cancel the reservations. The district will not be responsible for any employee failing to cancel reservations.
Within 3 business days upon return, the employee is responsible for turning in to the travel office an Itemization of Expense form that includes all itemized receipts and other documentation to support the cost of the trip. This form will be returned to the employee if any discrepancy or unsupported or unreasonable costs are identified. If the employee is unable to support or substantiate any such costs with itemized receipts, then no reimbursement for those items will be allowed.
If an employee receives a cash advance for a trip and actual expenses are less than the amount advanced, then the employee shall turn in the excess to the business office within 3 business days upon return along with the itemization of expense form. If expenses exceed the amount advanced, then a check will be issued to the employee subject to the requirements for reasonableness and support of expenses.
