MENU
SEARCHThe Illinois General Assembly fails to restore the funds, cut by Gov. Pat Quinn, in an extended veto session last week. But state pupil transportation director Cinda Meneghetti tells SBF that salaries were restored for personnel at Regional Offices of Education, which perform services including school bus driver training.
In an extended veto session last week, the Illinois General Assembly failed to restore school transportation funds that were cut by Gov. Pat Quinn.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An $89 million cut to school transportation in Illinois remains after the General Assembly failed to restore the funds in an extended veto session last week.
The reduction in reimbursements for school transportation was made by Gov. Pat Quinn for fiscal year 2012. It was one budget issue that was not resolved when the General Assembly met for its fall veto session in late October and early November.
The House and Senate met for an extended veto session on Nov. 29, but they did not restore the $89 million.
School District 54 in Schaumburg said in an announcement on its website that the state cut means a loss of $1.4 million in revenue for the district.
State pupil transportation director Cinda Meneghetti told SBF that a positive development from the veto session was the reinstatement of salaries for regional superintendents and assistant regional superintendents at the state’s Regional Offices of Education. The salaries had been taken out of the budget as of June 30.
Those regional offices, Meneghetti noted, perform many services for school districts, including school bus driver training and teacher education.
Officials continue to hold on to the possibility that the school transportation funds could return.
“We have not given up hope that this money may be restored in the future,” Meneghetti said, “and hopefully [we’ll] be given more funds to cover the rising costs of fuel, etc.”
An 11-year-old in Brooklyn was killed crossing the street. Meanwhile, the school bus driver faces misdemeanor charges after he left the scene.
Read More →
The 2026 Disaster Response Guide is officially underway, and we’re now opening a Call for Insights and Experts.
Read More →
Ongoing driver shortages nationwide are forcing tough transportation decisions. See how districts are using supplemental transportation to maintain coverage for high-needs students.
Read More →
A Rockland County child was struck by their school bus late last week. Here's what we know so far about this and other fatalities and injuries in the area over the years.
Read More →
As Maine becomes one of the first states to require anti-pinch door sensors on new school buses, manufacturers like Mayser offer a look at how the technology works and why it's a critical fail-safe.
Read More →
What if your fleet technology actually worked together? Learn eight practical strategies to integrate multiple systems into one platform, unlocking clearer insights, stronger safety standards, and smoother daily operations.
Read More →
A recent Verra Mobility survey reports that 82% of parents support safety cameras to penalize stop-arm violators and 70% favor automated enforcement in school zones.
Read More →
$10 million in state grants will fund safety upgrades and new features on school buses serving students across the Buckeye State.
Read More →
After complications in multiple cities when self-driving taxis failed to stop for school buses, the NTSB joins NHTSA in a probe to determine what's behind the tech and related safety concerns.
Read More →
Transportant introduced a next-generation stop arm camera designed to improve image quality and reliability for documenting illegal school bus passings.
Read More →
