What type of transportation will the District provide for the 2023-24 school year: shuttles, like last year, or traditional routes?
The District will provide a hybrid of the shuttle and traditional models of transportation. The majority of students will utilize the traditional morning and afternoon routes, but shuttles will be available to bring students to school for the beginning of the second class of the day and take students home from their third class. All other middle-of-the-day shuttles are being eliminated. Activity and Athletic shuttles will remain unchanged.

What are shuttles, and how do they work?
Shuttles are bus routes that bring students to and from school in the middle of the school day. Shuttle schedules coordinate with block times with routes either arriving at school just in time for the beginning of a block or buses leaving school shortly after a block. In addition, shuttles are available to take students home after most extra-curricular activities. There are fewer bus stops in a shuttle system, with stops strategically placed to safely accommodate each community. While students will be assigned a stop and route for convenience, all students are allowed to use the most convenient stop and shuttle.

Can my student ride on any bus at their school?
Students may only ride a bus to which they are assigned. Students qualifying for free transportation are automatically routed to the bus stop closest to their primary address. If a student requires a second route, please contact your school. Please be aware that a student boarding an afternoon bus to which they are not assigned must provide a pass from the front office, or they will be asked to get off the bus to obtain a pass.

Do I need to sign up to be eligible to ride a bus or shuttle?
All students qualifying for free transportation will automatically be routed on a bus - no sign-up is required. Routed students are free to ride the bus as frequently or infrequently as meets their needs.

Who qualifies for free transportation?
Students living over 1.5 miles from their school or whose walking path to school would constitute a hazard, according to IDOT, qualify for free transportation. In addition, some students receiving specialized services may receive free transportation. If you are uncertain if you qualify, please contact the Transportation Department at 847-718-7470.

If I do not qualify for free transportation, can I pay a fee to allow my student to ride the bus?
Bus stops are placed to accommodate students qualifying for free transportation; however, for the 2023-24 school year, any student who finds an existing stop convenient may ride the bus free of charge. Please note that only students who live 1.5 miles or more from their school will automatically be routed. If you are near the 1.5 miles threshold and are interested in riding a bus, contact the Transportation Department at 847-718–7470 or transportation.trips@d214.org.

How far will my student have to walk to their bus stop?
While transportation guidelines allow bus stops to be up to 1.49 miles from a student’s residence, most District 214 stops are approximately 5 miles or less away. New bus stops are only considered if a student would be required to walk a hazardous path or would have to walk more than 5 miles to their stop.

How early should my student be outside waiting for the bus?
Students should be at their bus stops at least 5 minutes before their scheduled pickup time. Buses are considered on time if they arrive up to 5 minutes before or 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. For example, a bus scheduled to pick up students at 8:00 may arrive anywhere from 7:55-8:10 and be considered on time.

How will I be notified if a bus is running late? Who can I contact if my bus hasn’t shown up?
Students and families are notified about late buses in two ways:

1. Ride 360 allows you and your student to track your bus in real-time. Traversa Ride 360 is available as an app on Apple and Android devices and can also be accessed online. It provides confidential, secure access to your student's routing information, as well as allows the Transportation Department to send you notifications of delays; for instructions on how to register and download the app, visit www.d214.org/traversaride360. If you have further questions, please email transportation.trips@d214.org.
2. Blackboard is a messaging system that allows the District to send phone messages, emails, and text messages about delays, accidents, or other related news.

If your bus is 10 or more minutes late and you have not received any notifications, please contact the Transportation Department at 847-718-7470

Will activity and athletics buses be provided after school?
Yes. An activity shuttle will leave each school at 4:45 pm, and an athletics shuttle will leave at 6:00 pm. These after-school shuttles will operate Monday-Friday on every school day.

Will I need my ID card to get on the bus?
Yes. Once issued, a student ID is needed to board a bus. As students get on and off a bus, they will tap their ID cards on a reader located near the door. An RFID chip in the ID will allow our transportation software to log the time and location where a student got on or off the bus. This measure has been put in place to increase the safety of students. Please refer to ID Cards & Transportation FAQs for more details, including what happens if students forget their ID cards.

Will the student ID cards be used to track students?
Students will not be tracked using the student ID. While the student ID does have a passive RFID chip, there are no readers inside the school to identify a student's location. In addition, the RFID chip will not be used for transactions in the library or cafeteria.

Rather, a barcode scanner, similar to those found in grocery store checkout lines, will be used to scan the barcode on the front of the ID. 
 
The only location where an RFID reader will be used is on school buses. As students get on and off a bus, they will tap their ID cards on the RFID reader located near the door. The RFID reader will log the time and location. This measure has been put in place to increase the safety of students.

How does the RFID chip work?
The student IDs use passive RFID, which means that it does not emit any type of signal unless it comes within 2-4 inches of an RFID reader. The only readers the district used to read student IDs are located on the buses to log when and where students get on and off the bus. 

What information is stored on the student ID?
The only information stored on the student ID is a unique number used by the District’s transportation software. No identifiable information, such as name, grade, campus, address, social security number, etc, is stored on the card via the bar code or RFID chip. 

Who is required to wear an ID?
All students are required to carry their IDs during school and other school-sponsored events. Staff members are required to wear an ID.

What is the ID used for?
IDs are used to easily identify each student and make campus services more efficient. For example, students will use their ID badge when checking out a book in the library, paying for their meal in the cafeteria, and scanning on/off the bus. While the Infinite Campus student app provides a digital ID, a physical ID card will be needed when riding a bus.

What happens if my student forgets their ID? Are they still able to ride the bus?
The District understands that students may occasionally forget their ID cards. Bus drivers can manually log a student on or off a bus by using their name or student ID number. However, since this process is timely and ID cards are required for general school safety, school personnel will be made aware of students who frequently board the bus without a card.

Do students have to wear their IDs during after-school hours or during extra-curricular events?
While attending school-sponsored activities, all students must carry their student ID with them and have it available if requested by a school or district official. 

How does my child get their ID?
All students will be provided an ID card within the first week of school. Students enrolling in the middle of the year will receive an ID as part of the registration process. Should a student misplace or damage their existing card, they should promptly go to the front office to get a new one. There is a $5 fee for replacement ID cards.

What if my child loses their ID?
All students are provided with their first ID card free of charge. Should the ID be lost, stolen, or damaged, a replacement must be promptly purchased for $5 from the school office.