School Bus Strike: Service Could Be Impacted Tuesday In D202

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield School District 202 students who normally take a bus to school are encouraged to make alternate plans Tuesday as a driver strike is possible, officials said.

Parents will be notified by 6 a.m. Tuesday whether or not there will be regular bus service. As of Monday afternoon, officials said they plan "for all buses to run for all students and for school to operate normally tomorrow."

Monday was a school improvement day, meaning students were off for the day. In the meantime, officials worked with their busing vendor, First Student, to monitor the "very fluid" situation and plan accordingly for Tuesday.

"You may be aware of issues with transportation that are affecting school districts nationwide — that includes District 202," district officials said in an alert Sunday evening. "Drivers are threatening to strike or stage a work stoppage of some kind that could affect regular education transportation on Tuesday."

Despite the district continuing to meet with First Student, officials continue to plan for "several contingencies" should buses not run Tuesday. As a result, guidance remains that parents should make alternate plans such as walking, carpooling or driving their children to school.

According to a Sunday email from the district, if a strike happens, it would likely only impact regular education transportation, not special education riders.

"We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause as students return to class after the holiday weekend," officials said Sunday.

In case of a strike, officials compiled a list of frequently asked questions for parents to refer to.