Friday, September 05, 2008

Proviso School Board Approves District Transportation Program

Under the leadership of Proviso School Board President Emanuel "Chris" Welch and the Proviso School Board, PTHS 209 is taking the next step toward providing free district wide transportation as part of the Proviso East and West School Improvement Plans.

Over the Summer, District 209 received approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation to classify certain areas around the school district as safety hazards.

This approval allows PTHS 209 to be reimbursed by the Illinois State Board of Education for transportation expenses for students who live within a 1 1/2 mile radius of their home school building.

Now, the district is taking the next step by soliciting transportation bid proposals.

"This is an effort improve the quality of life for our students, to ensure that they get to school safely and on time and ultimately improve PTHS 209's truancy rates," said Dr. Nikita Johnson, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations. "We are dedicated to improving student achievement and we understand that a big part of that is improving student attendance. With district-wide transportation we eliminate some of the hazards or obstacles that may keep students from getting to school and getting the education they need."

In March, PTHS 209 submitted a transportation hazard waiver that analyzes various hazards that Proviso students face when traveling to and from school. The Illinois Department of Transportation approved the waiver recognizing the need to overcome such obstacles.

The PTHS 209 Board of Education approved a transportation bid at the August meeting.

PTHS 209 will begin the process of establishing bus routes and notifying applicable parents of transportation options once the bids are approved.

Administrators are hopeful that this process will begin no later than the start of second semester.

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