Travel Forms and Guidelines
Click on the triangle to the left of the name of the claim to view forms and guidelines.
Prior Approval
- Forms
- Guidelines
- Instructions
- Substitutes
- Travel Involving Students
- Estimated Travel Expenses
- Submission of Prior Approval Form
Forms
Guidelines
Prior approval is required PRIOR to making arrangements for travel related to conferences, seminars, student athletics and activities (including field trips), recruiting trips and out-of-district overnight meetings.
The Prior Approval Form must show meals, lodging, transportation, registration fees, substitutes and any other estimated expenses for which payment or reimbursement will be requested. A copy of the registration form must be attached to each prior approval.
For more information on district policies related to travel, please refer to District Board Policy 6213 & Regulation 6213R (District Travel); and District Board Policy 2320 & Regulation 2320R (Field Trips, Excursions and Outdoor Education).
If prepayment for any travel item is requested, attach a Check Request Form and other necessary documentation (e.g. completed registration form) to the Prior Approval Form prior to routing for approval signatures.
If a purchase order (PO) for any travel item is requested, attach necessary documentation to this form prior to routing for approval signatures.
Instructions
General Information
Personal Information
Enter your name, employee number, and work location.
Registration Vendor
Enter the name of the vendor to whom registration fees will be paid.
Conference Information
Enter the name of the conference and destination (city and state).
Travel Dates
Enter the date of your departure and return.
Substitutes
Complete substitute information as indicated if any dates of travel require substitute coverage. If a substitute is NOT required, disregard this section of the form.
If Director approval is required on the Prior Approval Form, the Director secretary will forward a copy of the substitute request after all necessary approvals are obtained.
If Director approval is NOT required on the Prior Approval Form, a copy of the substitute request will be forwarded to the Substitute Office when the form is received in Purchasing.
Travel Involving Students
If an employee’s travel will include students (field trips, contests, etc.), the completion of Form 2320F1 is required. An employee should check the “YES” box to indicate they have completed Form 2320F1. Check boxes for 2320F5 and a bus request from transportation should also be checked if applicable. If students are NOT involved in the travel event, disregard this section of the form.
Estimated Travel Expenses
Registration, Transportation & Lodging
Enter the estimated costs for registration fees, transportation and lodging. For each expenditure item, employees must indicate the method of payment (PO, procurement card, check request or reimbursement).
Mileage
Enter the estimated number of miles that will be driven in a private vehicle. The District reimburses at the IRS rate per mile and does not reimburse for actual gas expenses.
Per Diem Allowance
For prior approval purposes, per diem allowance is estimated at $69 per day.
When calculating reimbursement, the Accounting Department will verify the applicable per diem rate based on the employee’s primary travel destination and calculate the total per diem owed to the employee.
Employees will receive 75% of the per diem allowance on the first and last days of travel.
Meals that are provided to the employee as part of the conference registration fees will be deducted from the per diem allowance.
Per diem is intended to cover meals and incidentals including customary tips; baggage handling fees and tips; and hotel/motel services.
Submission of Prior Approval Form
Travel Claim
Forms
Guidelines
Use this form to claim reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenditures related to prior approved travel transactions; these include conference, seminar, and workshop expenses which may or may not involve an overnight stay. (Non-Prior Approval travel transactions, such as itinerant travel between work locations, are not claimed on this form.) Claim forms must be submitted within 30 days of the employee’s return date and must include a copy of the prior approval form. The amounts being claimed must reasonably match the estimated amounts approved on the Prior Approval form. Reimbursement checks will be mailed to the employee’s home address.
Please refer to District Board Policy 6213 and Regulation 6213R for more information on district related travel.
Instructions
Personal Information
Enter your name, employee number, and work location.
Month/Year
Enter the month and year the travel actually occurred. This will determine which year the expenses are charged to.
Conference Information
Enter the name of the conference and where it was held. This will determine the allowable per diem rates.
Travel Dates
Enter the date of your departure and the date you returned.
Registration (5749)
Enter the total registration fee for which you paid out-of-pocket. Original receipts are required.
Travel Expenses (5849)
Enter the amounts paid out-of-pocket for transportation, lodging, fares, car rental, and parking separately in the spaces provided. Original receipts are required. The sum total of these items should be entered on the TOTAL TRAVEL EXPENSE line.
Other
Enter any other out-of-pocket travel expenses for which there is not a specific line item. These may include books or other materials required for the workshop attended. Original receipts are required. Entertainment related costs will not be reimbursed.
Mileage (5848)
Enter the travel date, a general description of the “FROM” (origin) and “TO” (destination), and the round trip mileage (rounded to nearest 1/10th of a mile). Mileage to and from the hotel, to and from the airport, and to and from the event are reimbursable. Personal mileage (e.g. to and from a restaurant) is not reimbursable. Mileage is reimbursed at the current IRS rate.
Per Diem Allowance (5847)
For travel involving an overnight stay, check the breakfast, lunch and/or dinner boxes for each day while on travel status for meals paid for out-of-pocket. Meals taken on the employee’s final day of travel should be checked in the LAST DAY column. Employees will receive 75% of the per diem allowance on the first and last days of travel.
Do NOT check the boxes for any meals that were provided as part of the conference registration fees. Where identifiable costs of meals are included in conference registration fees, the breakfast, lunch and/or dinner components will be deducted from the employee’s per diem allowance.
Receipts are NOT required. However, a copy of the conference registration form/itinerary showing the schedule of events and meals provided is required for verification purposes.
For local travel assignments not involving an overnight stay, meals shall be reimbursed at the breakfast, lunch and dinner component of the $69 per diem rate.
The incidentals portion of the per diem allowance is intended to cover customary tips; baggage handling fees and tips; and hotel/motel services.
Per diem rates are established by the U.S. General Services Administration and are subject to change. Current rates can be found online at www.gsa.gov. Employees will be reimbursed from one of the per diem rates listed below based on their primary travel destination. The Accounting Department will verify the applicable rate.
- Per Diem Total - $69
- Breakfast - $16
- Lunch - $17
- Dinner - $31
- Incidentals - $5
Note: The Accounting Department will verify the applicable per diem rate based on the employee’s primary travel destination and calculate the total per diem and total reimbursement owed to the employee.
Submission of Claim Form
When completed, employees must sign and date the CERTIFICATION section of the form; attach required receipts, a copy of the prior approval form and the conference registration/itinerary.
The form must then be forwarded to the employee’s immediate supervisor and the director with budget authority for the expenditures for their signature(s) in the APPROVAL section of the form.
The supervisor or director must place the appropriate budget codes(s) on the form. If more than one budget code will be used, the AMOUNT OR PERCENT line must be completed for each budget code so the appropriate amounts are applied to each budget at the time of processing.
The form and all pertinent documentation must then be forwarded to the applicable Accounting Services Specialist in the Business Office at 109.
Note: If a form is received by the Accounting Department without the proper documentation, the form will be returned unprocessed to the employee with a note asking for the missing documentation.
Expense Claim
Forms
Instructions
Personal Information
Enter your name, employee number, and work location.
Month/Year
Enter the month and year the transactions ccurred. This will determine which year the expenses are charged to.
Mileage (5858)
Enter the mileage date; a general description of the “FROM” (origin) and “TO” (destination); round trip mileage (rounded to nearest 1/10th of a mile); and a general description of the business purpose for the mileage.
Mileage will be reimbursed when employees are representing the District in an official capacity related to their job, traveling to school activities in a supervisory capacity, conducting home visits, or traveling between work locations. Mileage is reimbursed at the current IRS rate.
Meals and Meeting Refreshments (5559)
Meals
Enter the date the meal was purchased. For local travel (not associated with prior approval), meals are reimbursed at the breakfast, lunch or dinner component of the $69 per diem rate, as listed on the form (see below for meals that qualify for reimbursement). Check the corresponding box for the meal that was purchased. Indicate the number of people served in the # OF PEOPLE SERVED column (e.g. if the employee bought lunch at a business meeting for themself only, the # of people served would be 1). Original receipts are not required.
Attach a copy of the meeting agenda to the claim form.
Meals shall be reimbursed only in the following cases:
- When a meal taken at a meeting is part of the agenda and business is conducted before and after the meeting.
- When directed or required to attend mealtime business meetings, including community or public relations meetings.
- When an employee is traveling for more than 12 hours (but not overnight).
Meeting Refreshments
Enter the date the refreshments were purchased. Enter the actual total spent in the MEETING REFRESHMENTS column. Indicate the number of people served in the # OF PEOPLE SERVED column. Provide a general description of the business purpose for the refreshments. Original receipts are required.
Attach a copy of the meeting agenda and attendee list to the claim form.
Other
List all other out-of-pocket expenditures for which there is not a specific line item. Enter the date the items were purchased, the vendor name, a general description and purpose for the items, and the total amount spent. Original receipts are required.
Submission of Claim Form
When completed, employees must sign and date the CERTIFICATION section of the form; attach required receipts, meeting agenda and attendee list (if applicable).
The form must then be forwarded to the employee’s immediate supervisor and the director with budget authority for the expenditures for their signature(s) in the APPROVAL section of the form.
The supervisor or director must place the appropriate budget code(s) on the form. If more than one budget code will be used, the AMOUNT OR PERCENT line must be completed for each budget code so the appropriate amounts are applied to each budget at the time of processing.
The form and all pertinent documentation must then be forwarded to the applicable Accounting Services Specialist in the Business Office at 109.
Note: If a form is received by the Accounting Department without the proper documentation, the form will be returned unprocessed to the employee with a note asking for the missing documentation.
Resources
Current Mileage Rate
- January 1, 2024 - present
- .67 cents per mile
- January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023
- 65.5 cents per mile