The Ashbury community was disappointed to hear the news on Friday, March 22, 2024 at 5 PM that district-provided bus transportation will no longer be provided from many addresses in our subdivision to Neuqua Valley high school for the 2024-2025 school year. Many homes in the Ashbury subdivision are less than 1.5 miles to the school, but have qualified for bus transportation for years due to hazardous conditions. Our community respectively calls on the Indian Prairie School district, Neuqua Valley High School and the School Board to revisit this decision.

This petition is also being made on behalf of the surrounding subdivisions who are also impacted by this decision. 

Using the wording in "105 ILCS 5 Article 29" of normally traveled roads or streets, the path that we would walk to Neuqua would be walking down Book or 95th street to the intersection of Book/95th Street. We would then cross this intersection. We would then walk down 95th street where there are multiple driveways, some with stop signs and some without stop signs. High school starts at 7:20/7:25 and it is a minimum 20-to-30-minute brisk walk. To arrive at school in a timely manner, we would be leaving at a time where it is still dark most of the school year. Therefore, teens are going to be walking in the dark across a dangerous and busy intersection to get to school.  

There is a busy Walgreens, Burger King drive through, and strip mall through the area that have cars coming in and out. Also, there is a busy YMCA and other retail businesses along that road. There is no public transportation option. Bike riding down 95th is not safe given the multiple driveways. 

Historically, it has been deemed that bus transportation will be provided due to hazardous conditions on this route, including crossing a roadway. What has changed for the 2024-2025 school year? How has this route been made safer? We understand that the school board uses a points system to make this determination. We are requesting the school board and district provide the current points/drivers that determined the current circumstances as unsafe and how this has changed for the 2024-2025 school year. 

While the public understands this is a cost savings initiative, this savings will be quickly eradicated should a teen get injured or killed while walking to school and pursue legal action against the school district. Many inexperienced teen drivers will be at the 95th and Book intersection at the time when these children are crossing the street. In addition, given the sizable number of families that will be losing bussing, there will be more cars on the road driving to Neuqua. Due to the volume of traffic at this intersection being increased, there should be the maximum number of points attributed to this hazard.  

While some parents will be fortunate enough to drive their teen(s) to school because they have a flexible job or do not work, many teens will have to walk in unsafe conditions. This is inequitable. We understand that state statute allows school boards to add up to an additional 2 points to any hazard. These are known as board judgments. School boards are required to provide a reason for the additional points, which include, but are not limited to, unusual accident experience, inadequate sight distance, railroad switching at a crossing, and a high volume of vehicles crossing the walkway during the time pupils are walking to and from school, such as at a shopping center, major gas station, etc. As a result of the board judgments, it is possible for hazards to be approved that only have 10 points but are given 2 additional board judgment points, therefore reach the 12-point threshold.

We ask that the Indian Prairie School District, Neuqua Valley High School and the School Board to revisit this decision for the 2024-2025 school year and continue bus service in the Ashbury subdivision.