December 2, 2009

Current information about District 65 is now available at www.district65.net
 

Reports, publications, and information from prior years are available on this site, www.archive.district65.net.

Pat Markham
Communications Director

If you experience a problem with bus service or have a question, please call Alltown Transportation Services at 847 674-0090. If you do not receive a satisfactory response, please call 847-859-8019 for the District 65 Transportation Manager.

Pursuant to School Board Policy 4:112:

Busing will be provided for those students attending magnet schools or other specifically designated schools or programs who: (1) reside at a distance of one and one-half miles or more from their school, or (2) reside within one and one-half miles of their school where walking to school or to a pick-up point or bus stop constitutes a serious hazard due to vehicular traffic or rail crossing according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) criteria and where such a hazard has been approved by the IDOT, and adequate public transportation is not available. Two-thirds of the cost of transportation will be borne by parents and one-third by the District except when students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Students meeting free or reduced lunch criteria will be provided free transportation.

:: Current School year  Bell Schedule

:: District 65's rules for bus behavior

Roger Allen, Transportation Manager 847 859-8019
JoDe Dietsch, Transportation Secretary 847 859-8053

Waiting for the Bus:

• When you are waiting for the school bus, you should wait at the bus stop, and stand well back from the curb.

Getting Off of the Bus:

• Look to the rear of the bus before you step off the bottom step.
• Take five giant steps straight out of the bus door, and out of the danger zone.
• Make sure you have eye contact with the driver, and wait for the driver to signal you before you cross in front of the bus.
• Never go back for anything you left on the bus.
• Never bend down near or under the bus.

Walking Near School:

• When school is opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon, it is a busy and crowded area.
• There are children being dropped off or picked up by both school buses and parents.
• It is important to look carefully to the left, right and left again if you have to cross the street.
• If you must walk through parked traffic, stop and look carefully before stepping out from between vehicles.
  
• Remember the danger areas around school buses where the driver cannot see you.
• Don't run between parked cars and buses.
• Don't run across the street or through a parking lot trying to catch up with your friends.

School Bus Behavior:

• It is important to listen to your bus driver in case there are any special instructions for bus ride.
• Sit quietly in your seat.
• Speak quietly to the other children near you.

Knowing the Signs:

• When school is opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon, the area around the school is a very busy and crowded. There will be many children using the crosswalk.
  Car drivers, bikers and in-line skaters must stop to allow people in the crosswalk to cross the street.
• It is the important to look carefully to the left, right and left again if you have to cross the street.

With the assistance of the city traffic engineer and the Evanston Police Department, the enclosed School Walk Route has been suggested for your child(ren)'s use. We hope that you will extend this route to your house, and show your child(ren) where each street should be crossed and on which side of the street to walk. The entire path should be clearly defined from home to school and home again.

We encourage families to walk child(ren) through the route until it is learned. Let each child know which side of the street to follow, which corners to cross and where, why the street must not be crossed in the middle of the block, how to look first for vehicles coming from the left and then from the right, how to watch for turning bicycles, what to do at traffic signs and signals, what to do at entrances to alleys and at railroad crossing, and to obey school crossing guards and school patrol members.

It is particularly important to show each child which stoplights to watch in order to cross on the green light or the "walk" signal, and what the flashing lights or gates at a railroad crossing mean.

Your school, city traffic engineer, and police department offer these suggestions to help prevent accidents. Please thoroughly discuss the route for safe walking with your child(ren).

Click on the school name to open a link with the safe route for the school:

• Bessie Rhodes Magnet School
• Dawes Elementary School
• Dewey Elementary School
• King Lab Magnet School
• Kingsley Elementary School
• Lincoln Elementary School
• Lincolnwood Elementary School
• Oakton Elementary School
• Orrington Elementary School
• Walker Elementary School
• Washington Elementary School
• Willard Elementary School

Some students may be able to use the CTA bus pass.  To access the application, click here.

The Pace Student Haul Pass is now available.  The Pace Student Haul Pass is a $25 monthly pass for middle and high school students for use from September through May.  The pass allows unlimited rides on Pace buses on any day of the week at any time of the day or night.  Students who pay cash are eligible for reduced-fare discounts only on school days between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm.    

Pace - North	1400 W. 10th Street	Des Plaines	60085	847-662-1221
Village of Wilmette	1200 Wilmette Ave.	Wilmette	60091	847-251-2700
New Trier High School	385 Winnetka Ave.	Winnetka	60093	847-446-7000

• For mail purchasers, print and complete the order form, and submit the completed form, copy of student identification, and payment to the address provided. The pass and a re-order form will be forwarded to your home. Please allow 10 business days for delivery. 
  
  Internet purchasers must provide the name of the school and the student ID number in the "Special Instruction" area of the order form when placing a Pace Internet Online Store order.

Illinois State Board of Education's

Parent/Guardian State Pupil Transportation Reimbursement Program (click on the title to be directed to the ISBE page)

This program is for parents/guardians to whom free bussing is not provided. It is also utilized by parents/guardians which live less than 1.5 miles from the school and have a Serious Safety Hazard approval on file with their Regional Office of Education. The reimbursement rates are usually prorated, and are paid out on a per pupil basis.

Purpose and Eligibility

The purpose of the Parent/Guardian Pupil Transportation Program is to reimburse parents or guardians of eligible students for qualified transportation expenses. Statutory authority for this program can be found in the Illinois School Code at 105 ILCS 5/29-5.2 Student eligibility criteria for this initiative includes the following:

• The pupil must be under age 21 at the close of the school year;
• The pupil must be a full-time student in grades K-12;
• The pupil must live either: 1) 1 1/2 miles or more from the school attended; or 2) within 1 1/2 miles of the school attended, where a verified safety hazard exists (similar to the safety hazard mechanism in regular/vocational transportation reimbursement); and
• The pupil did not have access to transportation to and from school provided entirely at public expense.