03.039 REIMBURSEMENT FOR CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY

SECTION 03 – BUSINESS and AUXILIARY SERVICES

Statement of policy

Expenses for necessary meal and lodging expenses incurred by technology center students involved in authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activities may be reimbursed by the technology center pending sponsor approval.

Definitions

Terms used in this policy are defined as follows:

"Student" means any student of the technology center who is participating in an authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activity.

“Sponsor” means an employee of the technology center or another person who has been authorized by the superintendent or the board of education to serve as a sponsor for an authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activity.

"Expenses" means any actual indebtedness incurred and paid by an individual student for meals and hotel or motel accommodations associated with an authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activity with the intention of being reimbursed by the technology center.

"Receipt" means an invoice document issued by a vendor which has been paid as an expense by a student or sponsor. A receipt must contain the following information: 

1. date indebtedness incurred; 
2. date indebtedness paid;
3. amount paid;
4. amount of indebtedness;
5. who paid the indebtedness;
6. method of payment;
7. the purpose of the indebtedness including an itemized description of the goods or services purchased; and
8. the name, address and telephone number of the vendor.

A credit card slip alone is NOT a receipt.

"Supporting documentation" means a memorandum containing a request for reimbursement and explanation of the reason for the expense. All receipts for which reimbursement is sought and a claim must be attached to the memorandum.

"Claim" is a document prepared by a sponsor who seeks reimbursement which contains the following information:

1. dates entering and ending travel status;
2. points of travel;
3. mileage to and from destination(s) when personally owned vehicle is used;
4. amount per mile reimbursed;
5. air, bus or train fares when public transportation is used;
6. parking fees, taxi fares, car rentals and turnpike fees;
7. meals;
8. motel and hotel expenses;
9. registration fees and meeting expenses;
10. other technology center business expenses such as telephone calls, tips, etc., which properly occur during the time an employee is in travel status;
11. encumbrance to be charged for expense; and
12. signature of approving official.

"Credit card slip" is the customer's copy of the credit card charge form. A credit card slip alone is NOT a receipt. To qualify as a receipt, a credit card slip must be attached to a supporting invoice issued by the vendor which contains all the information required of a receipt.

"Vendor" means the individual or entity that provided the goods or services to the sponsor or student for which reimbursement is sought and a receipt for payment has been issued.

"Meals" means actual food expenses incurred while participating in the authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activity.

“Authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activity” means participation in an event approved in advance by the board of education for a particular group of technology center students and their sponsor.

Procedure for Reimbursement

To obtain reimbursement for expenses the sponsor must:

1. Prepare and maintain complete and accurate supporting documentation with attached receipts and travel vouchers for the students. Requests for reimbursement with insufficient or incomplete documentation will be denied.
2. Submit supporting documentation with attachments to the designated technology center employee/official.
3. The board has absolute discretion to deny the request or approve it in whole or in part. The board's decision is final.
4. The technology center will issue payment for reimbursement authorized as soon as practicable following the approval.

Other Issues

A request for reimbursement must be made within thirty (30) days after the vendor's invoice is issued.

Reimbursements will be issued only for the actual amount of expenses paid by the students. No additional charges will be reimbursed. The technology center will not issue payment for funds a student or sponsor anticipates incurring in the future.

Reimbursement for necessary meal and lodging expenses incurred by technology center students involved in authorized technology center-sponsored co-curricular activities may be made from the appropriate activity fund sub-account or from the general fund, as determined appropriate by the board of education.

Any interpretation of this policy shall be made solely by the board of education and shall be binding in all respects.

Violation of any of the provisions of this policy by a technology center employee/sponsor may result in dismissal or nonrenewal. Violation of the provisions of this policy by a student may result in disciplinary action.

Reference: OKLA. STAT. tit. 70 § 5-129