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Proviso transportation update: routes, low ridership and early service problems with contractor First Student
Summary
District staff presented route counts and ridership figures, acknowledged slow starts and late buses from contractor First Student, and outlined steps including monthly meetings, parent communication and app use to address timing and routing problems.
District transportation staff told the board that current routing covers dozens of routes across Proviso East, Proviso West and Proviso Math & Science Academy, and that overall student ridership on buses is substantially below total enrollment.
Presenters said Proviso East’s morning routes showed roughly 30% of students riding; Proviso West and PMSA had lower or variable participation. Staff reported some early-season performance problems with First Student — including routes arriving eight to 12 minutes late in some areas — and said those problems were “remedied” through daily field supervision and repeated coordination.
Transportation managers described immediate fixes: daily meetings with First Student, in-field problem-solving by the district’s transportation manager Joey, and use of the FirstView app and RingCentral notifications to push real-time arrival or delay messages to families. The district said First Student had a higher-than-normal share of new drivers this year and that the contractor ran mock routes before school began but still experienced early issues.
Staff also explained how routing counts are assembled: the district must provide transportation to students who live beyond statutory walking-distance thresholds and plans routes based on registrations; actual daily ridership can be lower if families choose not to ride. The presentation said ridership is used to design routes but that the district is legally required to provide service to eligible students.
Ending: Staff said they will continue daily oversight and monthly meetings with First Student, push parent education about the PowerSchool/FirstView tools and return with updated ridership numbers when they become available.
