Freeport district cuts bus route for 62 students to save about $75,000

Freeport School District 145 will eliminate a bus route serving 62 students beginning with the 2026-27 school year, a change the district says will save about $75,000 as it manages an approximately $11 million deficit.

The affected students attend Center Elementary School and Blackhawk Elementary School in Freeport. Families who use the route may need to arrange other transportation or adjust their schedules when the new school year begins.

Crossing guards planned

The district plans to place two crossing guards where the bus service is being removed. The guards are intended to provide a safety measure for students who will no longer ride the route.

The transportation change comes as Freeport schools make reductions tied to the district’s budget shortfall and reduced state funding. The projected savings are about $75,000; that figure is an estimate, not money already realized.

Transportation eligibility

District transportation rules generally do not make students who live within 1.5 miles of school eligible for busing, unless a serious safety hazard applies. That threshold helps explain the transportation policy involved in the route decision, but it does not mean every student within 1.5 miles will lose transportation.

The route change is limited to the transportation serving the 62 identified Center and Blackhawk elementary students. It is not a districtwide shutdown of bus service.

What families should expect

For affected households, the practical issue is how students will get to and from school once the 2026-27 school year starts. Families may need to coordinate rides, walking arrangements or other transportation while accounting for the timing of the school day and the locations where crossing guards will work.

The decision reflects the pressure facing the district as it responds to an estimated $11 million deficit. Cutting one route and adding crossing guards is expected to reduce transportation costs while preserving a planned safety presence for students traveling to Center and Blackhawk.

The change is scheduled to take effect with the 2026-27 school year. The district’s announcement identifies the affected schools, the number of students, the projected savings and the crossing-guard plan; it does not identify a bus-route number or stop address.