Transportation

Bus Packed With Kids All Aboard!

Effective and efficient transportation systems affect everyone. Students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and school board members all take an active role in helping provide a safe and reliable school transportation system. The student transportation for Wilmette School District 39 is designed to offer safe, reliable, efficient, and economical service so students can devote their full attention to learning and growing.

By working together we can all help provide safe transportation for students.

Michelle McGregor
Transportation Liaison
847-512-6024

Bus Registration 2023-24

Before registering, please read the District 39 Transportation Handbook and review it with your child. By completing the registration and fee payment, you are indicating that you have read and understand the District’s transportation rules. For Kindergarten students, whether you are in AM or PM Kindergarten, please select "One Way (AM)" if you only want the bus TO school. Please select "One Way (PM)" if you only want the bus FROM school.

Transportation fees for the 2023-24 school year will be $792 per rider for round-trip and $473 per rider for one-way transportation for registrations received by July 14. If one-way transportation is selected, AM or PM must be designated. Students will receive route information and their bus pass in the mail before school begins in August. For more information regarding student fees and Board subsidies, please review our information sheet.

Important Information. Registrations received after July 14 will not be guaranteed a seat and will be charged a late fee - $100 for round-trip, and $50 for one-way. Any registration received after July 14 will be accepted only if space is available on existing routes. If space is not available, students will be placed on a wait list for the appropriate route. Bus requests will be processed in the order they are received.

Any students signing up after July 14 will be assigned to an existing route and stop, and they can start taking the bus on September 6. The routes will not be altered to accommodate late registrations. If there is not a stop available to you, your money will be refunded. The only way to guarantee a stop near your house is to register before July 14.

You can sign up for bus service using your credit card by accessing your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account. Choose "Balance", then "Make a Payment" and then choose "Transportation" on the left-hand side. You may select one of three options: (Round Trip), (One Way A.M.), or (One Way P.M.). If you prefer to mail in a check, you can download a transportation registration form.

NEW THIS YEAR for students attending off-site after-school care through the Park District.

All students who will be attending off-site, after-school care programing through the Park District must order their transportation through Park District Transportation. Please note this is for 3- or 5-days per week child care and not classes. For more information, contact Rosie Aliperta with questions for Campus Clubs for Centennial, Romona, and McKenzie. Contact Niki Koclanes with questions for Campus Clubs Lakeview. Contact Ann Toma with questions about CARE.

EXPRESS BUS
The Express Bus continues to be a success and we will continue this service for the 2023-24 school year. The Express bus is a direct bus ride between Central School – HMS, Central School – WJHS, McKenzie – HMS, and McKenzie – WJHS. This service is available for AM, PM or both AM and PM transportation. While the transportation fee is the same for the express bus, the express bus offers many benefits: it is a shorter ride to school, there are more students at the bus stop, it reduces traffic in the neighborhood streets, and in the afternoon, it is the first bus out of the lot. Please note, that if you sign up for the express bus, it is a full-year commitment, and you may not use the neighborhood bus. For more information, please contact Michelle McGregor.

If you would like to sign up for the express bus, please fill out this form after you have paid for your child’s transportation. Please note, just like all transportation requests, this must be completed by July 14.