Routing & Planning Division

Establishing School Bus Stops and Routes

In the case of regular education, neighborhood bus stops are provided in accordance with the Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 policy: 4:110 Transportation. In the case of special education programs, bus service is arranged in accordance with the students’ Individualized Education Plans(IEP).

School bus stops will be established considering safety, efficiency, economy, and equity and will follow the distances, below. Stops may be made closer for reasons of safety. Every effort will be made to maintain the distances as listed below. However, few exceptions may occur.

1. Daniel Wright – Community stops not to exceed 0.30 miles
2. Half Day – Corner stops not to exceed 0.20 miles
3. Laura Sprague –
   1. First & second grade only – Corner stops not to exceed 0.15 miles.
   2. Kindergarten bus stops will be determined by enrollment and geography prior to the beginning of the school year.

Buses will not be routed into dead-ends, cul-de-sacs or other streets that require a three-point turn or backing maneuver to exit unless the alternative bus stop would present an unusual safety hazard. For students located in these areas, community or corner stops will be provided. Buses will not be routed on private roadways or on roads not maintained by the local, county or State governments.

Pick Up and Drop Off Considerations

The order of pick up and drop off of students is designed to be most efficient and within the shortest possible time. Students who are first on in the morning will not necessarily be the first off in the afternoon if it is a less efficient way to run the route. In general, the farther students live from school, the longer their bus ride will be. The length of the bus ride is not determined by the distance from school, but by the number of stops made. Every effort will be made to keep route times at approximately 30 minutes not to exceed 45 minutes per route.

Bus arrival times may differ due to circumstances beyond the driver’s control. Heavy traffic, vehicle accidents and weather can affect the driver’s arrival time. Students should be out at their bus stops at least five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time.

Bus Stop Location Considerations

It is not possible to provide bus stops that are within sight of all student homes or daycares. Most families that live one house from the corner cannot see the corner bus stop without coming out of their homes. Parents are encouraged to be out at bus stops to promote proper pedestrian and bus stop behavior.

Routes travel past many students’ houses; stopping at all houses would be inefficient. Other students may be assigned to the stop, but ride infrequently. Stops at corners accommodate other students who may move into the neighborhood.

Change Requests

Change requests will not be processed for the first 4 weeks of school. This will allow ridership levels to normalize and will keep the department from constantly changing routes on a daily basis causing confusion and frustration for both students and parents during the first few weeks of school. Please note: requests that increase route time will be denied