Q: Can my student take the bus to school?
A: Generally, a student must meet one of three conditions to qualify for and be assigned transportation:
- Live at least 1.5 miles from their school
- Be required to pass through an area identified in an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Serious Safety Hazard Finding
- Have an IEP-prescribed transportation requirement.
If your student meets at least one of these requirements and is not currently assigned to a bus route, you may inquire by contacting the Director of Deans.
Q: I think my student may have left something on the bus. What do I do?
A: You may contact First Student, Inc. at 630-964-2500 and request that a staff member check your student’s bus for a lost item. Please know your student’s bus route number in advance of contacting First Student.
Q: Why is my student’s bus late?
A: Although District 86 makes every effort to have its buses run on time each and every day, weather, traffic, mechanical issues and unforeseen incidents are some of the things that can cause delays in the arrival of school buses.
Q: The bus drives right past my house. Why can’t it stop at my house?
A: District 86 does not offer door-to-door regular transportation service due to financial and logistic limitations. Having a unique bus stop for each student would add significant time to all routes, necessitating the addition of many more expensive bus routes.
Q: Why doesn’t the bus wait at the bus stop for my student?
A: If a bus is delayed at one bus stop, it means that it will arrive later at the remaining stops. For this reason, it is expected that students will be at their bus stop when the bus arrives. District 86 asks that its students be present at the bus stop at least 5 minutes early.
Q: Why does the bus have so many students on it?
A: District 86 attempts to make the best use of taxpayers’ money by constructing the most efficient bus routes possible; however, the district consistently has fewer students on its bus routes than the law permits. Capacity is capped at 48 students.
Q: We live on a cul-de-sac or a dead-end street. Will the bus come down our street?
A: Buses are usually not routed into cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets for safety reasons. In many cases, our large buses are unable to turn around at the end of a cul-de-sac or dead end street. Driving a bus in reverse while students are on board is prohibited in most cases by the bus company.
Q: We would like a bus stop added because the stop is too far away from our house?
A: The pickup and drop off points (measured property line to property line) cannot be more than one and a half (1.5) miles from the exit of the property for each student assigned to a bus. The district will consider adding a stop if a student has to walk more than one half (.5) mile to a bus stop. This is not a guarantee as adding more bus stops would add significant time to all routes, necessitating the addition of many more expensive bus routes.
Q: My student carries a large musical instrument and/or heavy backpack and appears to be the only student using the stop. Why can’t the bus stop be moved closer to our home?
A: Bus stops are centrally located for all students along a route and are never placed based on personal situations. Bus stops are not changed to accommodate one or more students because that may displace other students further from their home.
Q: Can my student ride the bus home with a friend?
A: For safety and logistic reasons, students may only ride the bus route to which they are assigned. Only students who qualify for transportation and are assigned a bus route may be transported on a bus.
Q: Who do I contact with my transportation-related question?
A: For general questions, you can contact Hinsdale Central at 630-570-8225 and Hinsdale South at 630-468-4222.
