ELGIN, Ill. — In an effort to reduce transportation costs, School District U-46 is making changes to its high school bus pickup sites — high school students will be asked to walk to their nearest elementary or middle school.

Under the new system, if a student’s nearest elementary or middle school is more than 1.5 miles away, a neighborhood stop will be established.

District officials said the move to decrease transportation expenditures is a result of lagging state payments and state reductions in transportation funding.

The district will hold meetings on Aug. 18 and Aug. 22 for parents and community members regarding the changes to the high school bus pickup sites.
 
“Parents will be notified of their student’s pickup and drop-off site by mid-August,” said Jeff King, chief operations officer for the district.
 
While the change was triggered by a cut to transportation funding by the state, School District U-46 will continue to work to provide a safe environment for students.

“If there is a designated hazard for elementary students to walk a route, the hazard would extend to high school students. In those cases, we are determining appropriate neighborhood stops,” King said.