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Parents press board for clarity on Olson bus contract and seat‑belt policy after recent law change
Summary
Residents urged District 109 to confirm whether its contract with Olson Bus Company allows future seat-belt retrofits and raised concerns about recent procurement and safety practices; the board heard testimony from a child‑passenger‑safety technician and a student recounting two prior bus crashes.
During the meeting’s public-comment period on Aug. 21, residents pressed Deerfield Public Schools District 109 for clarity about the district’s school‑bus contract with Olson Bus Company and about seat‑belt protections on buses.
Kimberly Laughlin, a lifelong district resident who identified herself as a child-passenger-safety technician (with a school-bus endorsement), said a state bill that initially sought a 2027 start date and seat‑belt usage requirements was weakened before final enactment; she said the final law, signed this month, set a later compliance date (she said 2031) and removed a required usage…
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