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Board weighs parochial busing as driver shortage strains routes; staff to start outreach
Summary
Administrators told the board that continuing bus service to two parochial schools would strain driver availability and that third‑party or parent solutions may be needed; board asked staff to contact the parochial schools and report back.
Chris (district operations/finance) and Donna Cho, director of transportation, told trustees that driver shortages and route logistics make ongoing busing for Saint Pat’s and Saint Gilbert’s difficult to sustain.
Administrators said the district currently serves about 105 students on those parochial routes and that covering those trips reduces available drivers for Woodland routes — an issue that becomes acute in severe winter weather and when substitute drivers are limited. “The more staff that we can get driving our students, the better,” Donna Cho said, describing reliance on retirees and 6‑99 workers whose availability can vary in extreme weather.
Board members discussed legal obligations. Staff noted Illinois law requires transporting students who live inside district boundaries to schools inside the district, but the parochial schools and many of the parochial students live outside Woodland CCSD 50 boundaries; the district is not required to provide the service. Trustees asked administration to reach out to the two parochial schools and to gather information about timelines, parent expectations, and whether the schools would explore third‑party transportation or parent‑driven solutions.
Direction given: Trustees agreed by consensus to have staff begin conversations with the parochial schools and report the results back to the board. No change to service was made at this meeting.
