IPSD 204 Lite

Transportation / Bus Routes

Transportation Overview

Indian Prairie School District 204 Transportation Service is administered by the Department of Support Services to provide best practices for safe, reliable and efficient transportation services in the most economical manner to all students who are eligible to receive transportation service. The Department of Support Services is responsible for supervising, administering, investigating, and resolving issues with the district’s transportation company.

For bus route questions/concerns please contact your school office. Initial parent requests will be addressed by the school administration. If a request needs further action, the school administration will send their recommendation to the District office for review and adjustment.

The district provides free transportation to and from school for resident students who live (1) a distance of 1.5 miles or more from their school of residence boundary, or (2) within 1.5 miles of their school of residence boundary, but for whom walking would constitute a serious hazard due to the vehicular traffic or rail crossings, as determined in accordance with the standards established by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Vehicles used by the District or any transportation contractor will meet all federal and state safety standards. Drivers will meet all required federal and state standards for licensing.

Bus schedules and routes are determined by the Office of Support Services in collaboration with the District’s transportation company and will be altered only with the approval and direction of the Office of Support Services. Safety hazards and population density will determine the number and placement of bus stops in a given area. To the extent possible, school bus routes will be restricted to main routes and state- and county-maintained roads. 

The Department of Support Services reserves the right to make changes to this information as we meet the changing needs of our student population. Please check this site regularly for updates.

Serious Safety Hazards

The district provides free transportation to and from school for resident students who within 1.5 miles of their school of residence boundary, but for whom walking would constitute a serious hazard due to the vehicular traffic or rail crossings, as determined in accordance with the standards established by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The school district is committed to being in compliance with the Illinois School Code and the Illinois Department of Transportation Findings and Instructions related to serious safety hazards.  Due to the comprehensive nature of the IDOT assessments we do not routinely analyze bus eligibility across all the neighborhoods in our large district annually.   Some areas in our district have not been assessed in a quite some time and the district is currently evaluating every area that is receiving transportation on a serious safety hazard eligibility to make a current determination if the hazardous conditions exist and if they meet the serious safety hazard criteria that is defined by law.

Bus routes and conditions are continuously being evaluated to ensure we are in compliance with State Law and Board of Education Policy. If eligibility for your area changes, families will be notified well in advance so they can make necessary adjustments.

Bus Routes

Route information is for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday bus times will be 20 minutes later for middle; 10 minutes later for elementary school; and 20 minutes earlier in the afternoon for high school to accommodate the Professional Development Wednesday program.

For bus route questions/concerns please contact your school office. Initial requests will be addressed by the school administration. If a request needs further action, the school administration will send their recommendation to the District office for review and adjustment.

Bus route information can be found in the student information system.  The Transportation Department is constantly reviewing and adjusting bus routes for safety, efficiency and to meet the feedback from students, parents, bus drivers and staff.  If route adjustments need to be made, they will go into effect on Monday morning of each week and are reflected in the SIS by 7:00 PM on the Friday preceding the changes.  While the schools will make every effort to communicate route changes to the families of affected students, it is always wise to verify bus route information periodically.

MyStop

Update: the latest version of the MyStop app is now available for Android Users. Android users should now be able to re-install the app without issue

Indian Prairie District 204 is introducing new technology to its school transportation fleet to increase the safety of your students and improve communication about their location with a solution called MyStop. My Stop is available to D204 families at no cost and allows parents to see an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the bus arriving at their child's specific bus stop.

Overview

  • Allows parents and students to view the bus stop time, location, and projected arrival time. This is available during scheduled route times only.
  • Updates approximately every 5 seconds and adjusts the scheduled arrival time as the bus is traveling along its route.
  • Will show if the bus has already passed the assigned stop.

We have posted a user guide and FAQ on how to access and use the MyStop Mobile App:

MyStop Feedback Form: Please use this form to submit feedback on the MyStop App or to request to have multiple student accounts joined into one login.

No Live Support

  • Feedback regarding MyStop can be submitted via the online form by clicking the link above called "MyStop Feedback Form"
  • First Student, School Office Staff or Transportation will not answer live MyStop App questions and concerns

Please keep in mind that this new technology does not replace our existing bus regulations and procedures:

  • Always plan to arrive at your bus stop location a minimum of 5 minutes prior to the arrival time.
  • If you arrive late, never attempt to chase or flag down or chase your bus.
  • If a student has missed their bus, he or she should never attempt to travel to another scheduled stop location. Parents should never follow a bus or attempt to drive their student to another stop location.
  • If a student misses the bus, they should immediately return home and call their parent and the students school

Weather, traffic, driver absenteeism, maintenance difficulties and unforeseen incidents are responsible for delays in arrival of school buses. Please know that we do everything possible to have all buses running on schedule each, every day and this technology will assist in these efforts. In the event your bus does not arrive as scheduled, contact First Student at 630-978-3284 to receive an ETA. Please allow 10 minutes before calling First Student.

Special Needs Transportation Info

High School Parking Permit Holders Special Transportation Requests

  1. Students with parking permits will be allowed 10 one-way passes to be used in the event of an emergency. Students must sign the log sheet at their school office when an emergency pass is used.
  2. Students with unique needs may complete Parking Pass Permit Holder Request for Bus Transportation and submit it to the Office of Support Services for special consideration.
  3. Parking Pass Permit Holder Request for Transportation Form 

Other Transportation Information

For bus route questions/concerns please contact your school office. Initial requests will be addressed by the school administration. If a request needs further action, the school administration will send their recommendation to the District office for review and adjustment.