Transportation

District 54 will provide free bus transportation for students in kindergarten through eighth grade who attend their base school, an open enrollment school or a magnet school and live 1.5 miles or more from the school they attend or live within an area that the Illinois Department of Transportation has determined to be a safety hazard (such as if students would have to cross a busy road).

District 54 is offering parent-paid transportation during the 2023-24 school year, for students living less than 1.5 miles and more than 0.5 miles from their school of attendance. Due to the bus driver shortage, there is limited availability for paid riders. Paid riders will only be added if an existing route has the space and time to support additional riders.

In order to reduce travel times, District 54 will be utilizing community stops for parent-paid riders. These stops may be up to a half mile from your home. 

Busing fees must be paid in full when students register for busing. People who register by July 15, will receive a $50 early-bird discount.

The transportation fees for the 2023-24 school year are as follows. This multiple child discount is applicable to immediate family members only.

• $525 for one child
• $650 for two children
• $750 for three or more children

Activity buses are provided at 4 p.m. at no cost for junior high students who live 1.5 miles or more from their school and for students who live less than 1.5 miles from their school who have registered for paid busing. All students riding the 4 p.m. activity buses must have their bus passes available for the driver. The bus will stop at community stops, which will be at least 1 mile from the school and may not be the same as the student’s regular stop. To find the closest stop and the correct route for your student, you may contact your school’s office or Transportation Services at (847) 357-5104.

District 54 provides free bus transportation for students who live 1.5 miles or more from the open enrollment school they attend or those who live within an area that the Illinois Department of Transportation has determined to be a safety hazard (such as when students would have to cross a busy road). Students enrolled in the English-Spanish dual-language program must attend their dual base school and meet the above criteria to qualify for free transportation.

Only items, including musical instruments, that fit on the student’s lap will be permitted on the bus. No sports equipment, such as balls and skateboards, are allowed on the bus. The use of laser pointers, cell phones and electronic devices is prohibited on the bus.

If your child rides the bus to school and is on crutches, please contact your child’s school nurse. The nurse will provide you with Request for Medical Busing forms. Parents/guardians and physicians must complete these forms before a child on crutches will be allowed to ride the bus. Once the nurse receives the forms and if the doctor indicates a student can climb stairs, arrangements will be made for a representative from First Student to observe the child’s ability to safely navigate the stairs of the bus. The nurse will notify parents of the outcome of the observation.

Electronic visual and audio recordings may be used on school buses as necessary to monitor conduct and to promote and maintain a safe environment for students and employees when transportation is provided for any school-related activity. Any electronic recording of the interior of a school bus when the bus is transporting students to and from school and school-sponsored activities is exempt from the Eavesdropping Act and is not a school student record under the Illinois School Student Records Act. Pursuant to Illinois law, such recordings are nonetheless confidential records and may only be used by school officials (or their designees) and law enforcement personnel for investigations, school disciplinary actions and hearings, proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, and criminal prosecutions, related to incidents occurring in or around the school bus.