The District shall provide free transportation for any student in the District who resides: (1) at a distance of one and one-half miles or more from his or her assigned school, unless the School Board has certified to the Ill. State Board of Education that adequate public transportation is available, or (2) if adequate public transportation is not available, within one and one-half miles from his or her assigned school where walking to or from school or to or from a pick-up point or bus stop would constitute a serious safety hazard due to either (a) vehicular traffic or rail crossing or (b) a course or pattern of criminal activity, as defined in the Ill. Streetgang Terrorism Omnibus Prevention Act, 740 ILCS 147/. A student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) may file a petition with the Board requesting transportation due to the existence of a serious safety hazard. Free transportation service and vehicle adaptation is provided for a special education student if included in the student’s individualized educational program. Non-public school students shall be transported in accordance with State law. Homeless students shall be transported in accordance with Section 45/1-15 of the Education for Homeless Children Act. Foster care students shall be transported in accordance with Section 6312(c)(5)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 

If a student is at a location within the District, other than his or her residence, for child care purposes at the time for transportation to and/or from school, that location may be considered for purposes of determining the one and one-half miles from the school attended. Unless the Superintendent or designee establishes new routes, pick-up and drop-off locations for students in day care must be along the District’s regular routes. The District will not discriminate among types of locations where day care is provided, which may include the premises of licensed providers, relatives’ homes, or neighbors’ homes. 

Bus schedules and routes shall be determined by the Superintendent or designee and shall be altered only with the Superintendent or designee’s approval and direction. In setting the routes, the pick-up and discharge points should be as safe for students as possible. 

No school employee may transport students in school or private vehicles unless authorized by the administration. 

Every vehicle regularly used for the transportation of students must pass safety inspections in accordance with State law and Ill. Dept. of Transportation regulations. The strobe light on a school bus may be illuminated only when the bus is actually being used as a school bus and (1) is stopping or stopped for loading or discharging students on a highway outside an urban area, or (2) is bearing one or more students. The Superintendent shall implement procedures in accordance with State law for accepting comment calls about school bus driving. 

All contracts for charter bus services must contain the clause prescribed by State law regarding criminal background checks for bus drivers. 

Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Vehicle Inspection 

The Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement a pre-trip and post-trip inspection procedure to ensure that the school bus driver: (1) tests the two-way radio or cellular radio telecommunication device and ensures that it is functioning properly before the bus is operated, and (2) walks to the rear of the bus before leaving the bus at the end of each route, work shift, or work day, to check the bus for children or other passengers in the bus.

LEGAL REF.: 20 U.S.C. §6312(c)(5)(B), Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

42 U.S.C. §11431 et seq., McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

105 ILCS 5/10-22.22 and 5/29-1 et seq.

105 ILCS 45/1-15 and /1-17.

625 ILCS 5/1-148.3a-5, 5/1-182, 5/11-1414.1, 5/12-813.1, 5/12-815, 5/12-816, 5/12-821, and 5/13-109.

23 Ill.Admin.Code §§1.510 and 226.750; Part 120.

92 Ill.Admin.Code Part 440.

CROSS REF.: 4:170 (Safety), 5:100 (Staff Development Program), 5:120 (Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest), 5:280 (Duties and Qualifications), 6:140 (Education of Homeless Children), 6:170 (Title I Programs), 7:220 (Bus Conduct)

ADMIN. PROC.: 4:110-AP2 (Bus Driver Communication Devices; Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Inspection; Bus Driving Comments), 4:110-AP3 (School Bus Safety Rules), 4:110-E (Emergency Medical Information for Students Having Special Needs or Medical Conditions Who Ride School Buses), 6:140-AP (Education of Homeless Children)

Adopted: April 24, 2023