Your child is entitled to bus transportation at no charge if you are a resident of School District 15 and live 1.5 miles or more from the District-assigned school he or she will attend, or who live in an area declared to be hazardous as determined by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Board of Education makes transportation available to other areas on a paid basis and accepts riders to the extent that transportation services are available and are approved on a case-by-case basis by transportation. No stops will be made less than one-half mile from the school building.

All bus assignments, as well as routes and stops, are determined by Transportation Services. Parents whose children ride school buses are asked to be sure the information on the bus assignment is accurate. If the information is not correct, please call the school office.

The staff members of School District 15’s Transportation Department are the first and last people children see every school day. We want that meeting to be positive.

District 15 operates its own bus fleet, which is one of the largest district-owned bus fleets in Illinois. A total of 162 buses safely transport 10,500 parochial and public school children each day.

Approximately 1.5 million miles are logged annually on district buses. To maintain the highest safety levels possible approximately 250 tires are replaced on district buses and two state inspections are performed on each bus every year. The district uses approximately 220,000 gallons of fuel yearly.

SAFE AND SECURE IN OUR “NEW NORMAL”: COVID-19 Informed Bus Protocols in District 15

What’s new:

• All buses are deep-cleaned nightly, with the same antiviral used inside the school buildings.
• All touch surfaces on the buses are spot sanitized after each route, with the same antiviral used in the school buildings.
• Driver and all bus riders MUST BE MASKED for the duration of the bus ride.
• Rules for optimal airflow in the buses have been put in place.
• Temperatures will be taken enroute, where possible, or at school before entering the building.
• Bus capacity has been reduced to <45 passengers per bus, more stringent than state recommendations.
• Seats have been assigned based on stop order (first students to board, walk all the way to the back) to minimize cross traffic and to maintain social distancing.
• Siblings or members from the same household will be assigned to sit together on the bus.
• Assigned seats will be strictly enforced by the driver.
•  Eating/drinking on the bus is PROHIBITED.

How students are expected to ride:

On the way to school:

• Know your pickup time and route number.
• WEAR YOUR MASK: if a student is at the stop without a mask, a disposable mask will be provided and the school contacted with the student's name.
• Be at your pickup location 5 minutes ahead of time.
• At large stops: line up in grade order, big kids first, siblings together. 
• Wait until the bus stops before approaching the door.
• Board quickly and quietly.
• Go immediately to your assigned seat.
• Keep your backpack on your lap.
• Stay in your seat, out of the aisle.
• NO EATING OR DRINKING ON THE BUS.
• Temperatures will be taken enroute, where possible, or at school before entering the building.
• At school, stay seated until the driver dismisses you.
• Enter school quickly and quietly through the assigned door.

On the way home:

• WEAR YOUR MASK
• Go to your assigned seat quickly and quietly.
• Keep your backpack on your lap.
• Stay seated, in your assigned seat, out of the aisle, until the driver dismisses you.
• NO EATING OR DRINKING ON THE BUS.
• At your stop, stay seated until the driver dismisses you.
• Exit quickly and quietly.