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Board presses for PACE usage data as renewal and parochial passes discussed
Summary
During the operational services meeting on May 13, staff presented a proposed PACE renewal (including parochial passes) and board members raised concerns about the program’s cost, students’ actual usage, schedule alignment and the need for usage reporting from PACE.
Waukegan CUSD 60 staff presented a proposed renewal of its PACE transportation contract for the 2025–26 school year at the May 13 operational services committee meeting and told the board the vendor proposed a roughly 2% increase consistent with prior years.
Administrators said the renewal adds passes for eligible parochial students and continues service to both high school campuses; the district will monitor issuance and pass eligibility data going forward. Board members asked for trend data on the number of passes issued and whether usage (actual rides taken) has declined alongside district enrollment.
Several board members expressed concern about the program’s cost and the lack of trip-level usage reporting from PACE. One board member observed that the district pays a large annual amount for the program (characterized in discussion as “three quarters of a million dollars” in rough terms) and asked whether PACE could provide data showing how often issued passes are actually used. District staff responded that the program’s cost is structured around providing an issued pass to each eligible high‑school student; the pass is treated as a fixed district cost and not a per-trip expense. Staff said they will request usage and trend data and report back.
Board members also raised schedule and routing concerns: students may be unable to use routes when district bell times change or when PACE reduces route coverage on late-start or early-release days. Board members asked staff to seek clearer usage reporting from PACE and to analyze alternatives (e.g., yellow-bus service) in cost comparisons. Staff agreed to return with historical pass-issuance data and trend analysis so the board can evaluate the renewal in context.
