Transportation Eligibility
For the 2026-27 school year, the district is implementing an opt-in transportation model for students who are eligible for transportation under Board policy. This means eligible students will not receive a bus route automatically and must submit the “Transportation Request Form” in the PowerSchool Parent Portal to opt in or opt out of bus service.
This model will allow us to build more accurate bus routes based on actual ridership, allowing for more efficient routes, which means less time for students on the bus and fewer empty stops.
Eligible students are no longer routed automatically.
Complete the Transportation Request Form
If your child is eligible to receive transportation, once you have logged into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, there will be a BLUE banner at the top of the page. Use the link provided in the banner to complete the REQUIRED opt-in/opt-out form. You may complete the form to start or stop bus service at any point during the school year.

Only students eligible to receive transportation will have access to the form in PowerSchool. If you do not see the blue banner with a link to complete the form, your child is not eligible to receive transportation at this time, based on Board policy.
Complete the form by Friday, August 14th, in order to receive route information before the first day of school.
For more information and PowerSchool instructions

District 65 Elementary Bus Zones Map*
Open the District 65 Elementary Bus Zones Map
-
Shaded areas show where students within the school attendance boundary are eligible for district-provided transportation based on IDOT and Board approved hazards and Board policy.
-
Designated crossing guard locations are also included on the map
*This tool is for informational purposes only and is subject to change.
Who is eligible to receive transportation?
For the 2026-2027 school year, D65 provides free transportation to K-5 students, K-8 students at King Arts, and certain middle school students, who meet any one of the following:
- Live 1.5 miles or more from their assigned local (home) school; or
- Live within 1.5 miles of school where walking would cross an approved hazard. Board-approved hazardous crossings, based on Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) criteria; or
- Have transportation written into their Individualized Education Program (IEP); or
- Are English Learners enrolled in a bilingual education program that is not located at their local (home) school; or
- Chute middle school students who live in the Walker attendance boundary; or
- Bessie Rhodes students who are attending Haven Middle School and do not live in the Haven attendance boundary; or
- Bessie Rhodes students who are attending Foster School and do not live in the Foster attendance boundary.
Students attending school based on an approved permissive transfer request are NOT eligible to receive transportation.
