SchoolBus logo in red and orange
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH
Enter keywords to search across all content
Newsby StaffJune 29, 2012

Dozens of school bus batteries stolen in Ariz., Ill.

Thieves in Collinsville, Ill., make off with more than 35 batteries from a contractor's buses. In Peoria, Ariz., about two-dozen batteries are ripped off and buses are damaged at a school district lot.

Read More →
Newsby StaffMay 31, 2012

Ill. bill would set new rules for awarding bus contracts

The General Assembly passes House Bill 4029, which would require that school districts award school bus contracts by first considering the bidder most able to provide safety and comfort for students, and stability of service. Then price may be considered. The legislation now awaits approval or veto from Gov. Pat Quinn.

Read More →
Newsby StaffApril 26, 2012

Proposal would allow Ill. districts to charge bus fees

The Illinois State Board of Education is expected to draft a bill that would eliminate the requirement for public school districts to transport students and base state-to-district reimbursements on an average per-student or per-mile rate. Districts could charge parents a fee to make up the difference between the state reimbursement and the actual cost of transporting students.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Newsby StaffFebruary 1, 2012

Cook-Illinois launches employee wellness initiatives

The school bus contractor has invested more than $22,000 in programs for its drivers, including a discounted membership program with Charter Fitness, and removed junk food and soda from its subsidiaries' vending machines, among other efforts. Employees are reportedly losing weight and interacting with one another more.

Read More →
Newsby StaffDecember 28, 2011

New Ill. law targets bus driver drug, alcohol testing

Under legislation that will take effect Jan. 1, school bus operations can test drivers for alcohol or drugs if the driver is suspected of using such substances. If a driver refuses to submit to a test or fails it, the law requires the driver's school bus permit to be suspended for three years.

Read More →
Newsby StaffDecember 8, 2011

$89M cut to Ill. school transportation stands

The 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.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Newsby StaffOctober 4, 2011

4 buses burn at Ill. elementary school

Sheriff's deputies and fire personnel respond to a report of buses on fire and find four school buses aflame in the school's parking lot. Officials are considering the fire suspicious in nature but are not labeling it arson.

Read More →
Newsby StaffAugust 31, 2011

Ill. bus company improves service for school year

Illinois Central School Bus Co.’s service to five school districts in Winnebago County, Ill., has gone smoothly this school year, with buses on time and routes followed correctly. District and bus company officials met over the summer to better prepare and help avoid late busing and other problems that occurred during the last school year.

Read More →
Newsby StaffAugust 4, 2011

Ill. contractor to open new bus facility

Illinois Central School Bus' facility in Carol Stream, Ill., will include a bus storage lot, offices and a maintenance area, and have room for parking up to 120 school buses. About 100 bus drivers and 10 to 15 office and maintenance staff members will operate out of the facility to serve four districts under transportation contracts acquired this summer.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Newsby StaffJuly 7, 2011

Last transportation payment saved for Illinois districts

The state’s 2011 fourth quarter transportation payment had been targeted to be cut. But while that reimbursement has been restored, a new challenge surfaces: Gov. Pat Quinn has cut from his budget about $89 million for transportation for the next school year.

Read More →