Transportation

Please complete the Bus Stop Review form to ask for a safety check of your current bus stop. Our team will review the bus stop location and determine if it should be changed for safety reasons.

• Student must live 1+ mile from elementary school, 1.5+ miles from middle/high school or have a district identified hazardous crossing to qualify for free transportation, as defined in section 1 of Policy 707, Student Transportation.

• Student must have transportation in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) to qualify for free special education transportation.

• Students who live outside of District 196 boundaries but attend one of our schools through an approved open enrollment are eligible for free transportation if they can be brought to an existing bus stop within the attendance area of the school they attend.

• Students who attend a school outside of their designated attendance area or magnet school zone can request transportation within the attendance area of their school.
• Transportation service is based if there is an existing route and space available on the bus. Please complete the Interdistrict Transportation Request form.

• Students who live less than a mile from their elementary school or less than 1.5 miles from their middle or high school can request Pay to Ride services by completing the form.
• Fees and deadlines apply.
  • Current Families: Sign up deadline is June 4. Payment deadline is June 30.
  • New to District Families: Payment deadline is July 30.
• Intradistrict transfer students are not eligible for Pay to Ride services.

• Daycare must be located within student's attendance area school, or student must have an approved Daycare Transfer form on file.
• Daycare transportation is only available for students in grades K-5
• Families must complete a Daycare Transportation Request form after a Daycare Transfer form is approved.

• Log in to Infinite Campus Parent Portal
• Navigate to "More"
• Select "Transportation" to find your student's bus route.
• Bus Route information will appear for the selected student. If you have more than one student, click the arrow next to the student photo in the top right to change students.

If we do not have enough bus drivers, bus routes may be delayed or canceled. Please have a backup plan to get your student to and/or from school.

• District 196 will contact you by phone, text, email, and ParentSquare.
• We try to let families know the night before. Morning cancellations are set by 6 a.m.
• Updates are posted as a pop-up on our website and in ParentSquare.
• If a route is canceled, it is typically canceled for the entire day.

If you cannot drive your student or find a carpool:

• We will still send a bus, but it will be late.
• Use the Morning Route Request Form (in ParentSquare) if you need the delayed bus. 
• The Transportation Office will contact you with morning updates.

If a bus is delayed after school, drivers will pick up students after finishing their normal routes. The bus may be 30 minutes to 2 hours late. 

• Middle and high school students can ride the 5 p.m. activity bus home. 
• Elementary students will be cared for at school until a bus arrives. 
• Your student's school office will contact you directly with afternoon updates and pickup times.

Bus drivers are assigned (or bid) regular routes so they can get to know the students, schools, and roads. 

When a driver is absent, a substitute driver takes over the route. We rotate substitute drivers so that bus cancellations are shared fairly across the district. However, if a driver is away for a long absence and no substitute is available, that route may be canceled more often.

Generally, elementary students who live 1 mile or more from their school and middle and high school students who live 1.5 miles or more from their school can ride the bus at no charge. Students who live less than those distances and do not have a dangerous crossing can sign up for Pay-to-Ride services.

Hazardous or dangerous crossings are determined by the Transportation Office. If you are unsure if you are in a non-busing zone or live near a hazardous crossing, please contact the Transportation Office.

• Buses usually stop at street corners so drivers can see traffic clearly, avoid backing up, and keep the ride moving safely.
• Stops are placed in central spots so students can walk a reasonable distance to reach them. Most stops are at least three blocks apart.
• A stop may have up to 25 students. Group sizes may be larger at cul-de-sacs, apartments, or high schools.
• Stops for after-school activities are placed within 1 mile of a student's home.

• Stopping too often makes other drivers impatient, which can cause dangerous passing. It also makes the bus ride much longer for all students. 
• We cannot change or add stops for personal reasons or daycares. Moving a stop to help one family can make it harder or unsafe for others.
• We cannot place every stop where parents can see it from their front door. It is the family's responsibility to make sure their student gets to and from the bus stop safely.
• Buses are not able to be routed to stop on both sides of the street to avoid students having to cross the road. We recommend students stand on the side of the street they live on and wait for the warning lights and stop arms to be activated and the bus driver signaling it is safe to cross to enter or exit the bus.

Note: Bus drivers cannot change stops or routes. Only the Transportation Office can adjust a bus stop if they find a safer location.