Late buses causing some Unit 5 students to fall behind

School Bus
Late buses have been an issue in Unit 5 since school began this year. (Photo courtesy Flickr/flequi)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – More than 100 students at Unit 5’s high schools have been impacted by their buses being late getting them to school, according to Superintendent Mark Daniel.

“We believe that we have 44 students at (Normal) Community have been adversely affected and we have 60 students at (Normal) West that have been adversely affected, in regards to our late buses,” Daniel said.

Late and overcrowded buses have been a problem for the district since the start of school. Daniel updated the situation during this week’s Board of Education meeting.

“Our mission is to educate each student to achieve personal excellence and right now we are being prevented from accomplishing our mission because of this problem,” Board member Joseph Cleary said.

Unit 5 officials are working with transportation provider First Student and data shows the situation has improved. However, the district said the problem is far from solved.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…