Parents, board hear pleas to preserve St. Marys bus service as district weighs charging families or ending routes

Members of the public urged the Sycamore Community Unit School District Board of Education on Monday to preserve a bus service that has transported St. Mary students to school for more than four decades. Parent Micah Morton, who said he lives downtown and works at Northern Illinois University, told the board the district has provided the route at no charge for over 45 years and that "30 Saint Mary students rely on the bus service each day." He said 189 St. Mary students live inside the district and that 125 of those families directly pay local property taxes. The matter came to public attention this summer after district staff notified St. Mary families it was considering either charging them for the route or canceling it. Morton said families were initially told withholding of federal funds prompted the change; he said the district later indicated the impact came from cuts in mileage reimbursement from the State of Illinois. "It's my sincere hope an alternative to both these options can be found," Morton said. The board discussed the service during the meeting; a board member explained the district has lost roughly $2 million in state mileage reimbursement and described rising insurance and other costs as reasons the board is seeking budget savings. That board member also said the district remains supportive of St. Mary and does not intend to "go after private schooling." The remark was offered during a broader budget context rather than as a formal motion. Carl Swinton, another DeKalb parent, said the bus is a household "lifeline" that enables parents to get to work and helps families pay local rents and taxes. "Asking families or the school to pay $1,500 a student, $45,000 a year, for a short bus ride just doesn't seem right to us," Swinton said. Board members and staff said they are working with St. Mary leaders to identify alternatives and asked for more clarity on the funding picture. District staff told the board any changes under consideration could take effect in January; no formal vote was taken on the route at the meeting. Next steps: board members asked staff to continue talks with St. Mary administrators and return with options before January. The board did not adopt a policy change or take a final vote at Monday's meeting.