“I knew I should’ve stayed home today…” -Arnold, The Magic School Bus

Many parents and students of Lincoln-Way East are frustrated with the current bus transportation ordeal.  Recently, Lincoln-Way East parents/guardians have been receiving emails from the school board explaining that there will no longer be any bus service on certain dates. This causes an immense amount of traffic at the school, and most students are late because of it. Although the school has put traffic workers and police officers around the school, the parking lot is still very crowded. Being late might not seem substantial to many people but missing the first 10 minutes of first period is a big deal to students. On days there are busses available, they are almost always late to the bus stop, which gives students little time to get to class once arriving at the school. Getting home on days there are busses is even worse. Students are randomly selected to be on either A or B bus routes. The A students get to board the bus at dismissal and are home within 30 minutes. The B students however are held in the lunchroom for up to 40 minutes, until the A busses come back to pick them up and bring them home. All the busses are very crowded. This is a problem for everyone, but especially those who have after school activities or sports they must attend. Parents/guardians are understandably upset, and many called administration to voice their complaints, however the problem still stands. Parents and guardians are now forced to find their kids a ride to school and back, which is especially difficult when they work full time.

You may be wondering how this situation got this bad.  Obviously, this pandemic still has its repercussions, which are inevitable. Unfortunately, with inflation and the high cost of living, 18 dollars an hour for bus drivers isn’t cutting it so it isn’t shocking that the administration is having a difficult time finding bus drivers that can afford to make only 18/hr. The school board is trying their best to keep everything organized and under control through this.

To combat this anxiety, there are many ways you can go about getting to and from school. If you live close enough, walking or biking is a great option. If you live too far away for walking, try asking your friends in the area for drives to school. Carpooling with your friends to get home is another good option. Keep in mind that some of your peers may not have parents that are available every day before and after school. Offer to take them home if they need, and you will be much appreciated. These options are great ways to decrease the traffic around the school. Overall, we must understand that this issue will be solved eventually, and we have to work with what we have at the time being.