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Melzer Elementary School

Empowering all students to succeed in a changing world

Busing & Transportation

Busing & Transportation

School Bus

D63 provides transportation for more than 2,000 K-8 students through Alltown Bus Service, which runs over 50 routes daily. Transportation is provided free of charge for:

  • Students who live more than 1.5 miles away from their school. 
  • Students living in designated hazardous areas. 

Please contact your school to see if you qualify for free bus service. 

Students living less than 1.5 miles from their school and not in a designated hazardous area may choose bus service for an annual fee of $430. 

Registering for Busing - Bus and Route Information

  • The best way to register for busing is to sign up online while registering your student for the school year via the Parent Portal. 
  • Looking for your student's bus stop and number? Please check the Parent Portal about a week before the start of the school year. If you are registering for the current school year, please work with the school office. 

  • First Student will provide busing for students in PreK-8th grade with special needs. However, students in these programs are eligible only if it is required per their Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

    • Pick-up and drop-off is at the student's home.
    • We advise students to be ready a few minutes before the bus arrives. The bus will stop at the student's home and wait for 3 minutes for the student to come out. The bus will leave if no student comes out within this period.

     

    For more information, contact:

    • Special Education Department:  847-493-8420
    • First Steps Preschool:  847-827-4165

  • District 63 contracts with two bus companies; each has a bus-tracking app that shows the real-time location of your child's bus. You may download the one you need - or both. Here are the details:

    ALLTOWN - coming soon!

    First Student - ParentView App - FIRSTView - Parent App Instructions
    First Student provides bus transportation for our special needs students, including preschoolers. 

    • Download the app through the Apple Store or Google Play - or through the link on this page First View homepage
    • Follow the prompts.
    • You will need a unique code to add each student. You can find your child(ren)'s code in the Parent Portal under "Transportation."

  • General Education Bus Transportation

    • Students must be at their stop five to ten minutes prior to pick-up time to ensure the efficient running of the route. A bus will not stop if students are not present at their designated bus stop.
    • We work closely with Alltown, relying on the company's expertise to create all our routes and stops. To maximize route efficiency, unless there is a safety concern, the District won't add stops to a route, as that would jeopardize on-time arrival at school.
    • The District tries to keep the same bus stops from one year to the next; however, sometimes this is not possible. Therefore, bus stops on the same route for the same school can change from year to year.
    • Alltown is not allowed to change a route or a stop without the District's approval.
    • While riding the bus, students are expected to be courteous, keep the bus clean, cooperate with the driver, stay in their seats while the bus is moving, and keep their hands and feet inside the bus.

  • Bus Company - Contact Phone Numbers
    For questions regarding issues with the route your child is on, please contact the appropriate company at the following numbers:

    • For Regular Education Transportation (Alltown):  847-674-00 (press #1 for dispatch)
    • For Special Education and Pre-K Transportation (First Student):  847-724-7200 ex. 1

  • You don't need to use this form if you registered your child for busing online when registering your child for school. The bus registration form is needed only if you didn't do it during online registration or if you need an alternate pick-up or drop-off stop. An alternate stop is a stop that is still within the school boundaries but not your usual stop based on your home address. Please submit the completed form to your school.