Schools

District 47 Gets Afternoon Activity Buses

Crystal Lake District 47 will provide late-afternoon bus service on select weekdays so more students can participate in after-school activities, sports and supervised study time.

wants to see more middle school students participating in school-sponsored activities, sports, clubs and study time.

For that reason, the district has announced plans to provide late-afternoon activity bus transportation on select weekdays for the 2011-12 school year.

District officials said on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, each of its three middle schools will provide three activity buses, which will depart the schools at 4:15 p.m.

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The schools include Lundahl, Hannah Beardsley and Richard Bernotas middle schools. Most Lake in the Hills students attend Lundahl and Bernotas.

The activity buses will drop off students at selected stops throughout the community, which won’t necessarily be the same bus stops used for regular routes, School Board President Jeff Mason said.

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“There are two things we’re trying to change,” Mason said. “We’re trying to give kids opportunity to participate in any after-school activity or clubs. And we’re making sure the library is available for students to study, or do research. For some kids, that’s their only access to the Internet.”

The activity buses come at an additional cost to , but Mason said school officials recognized transportation constraints as a major barrier keeping kids from getting more involved in school clubs and sports.

It also prevented some students from obtaining appropriate remedial help, Mason said.

middle-school class schedules start at 7:40 a.m., and release at 2:15 p.m., when many parents and guardians still are working.

On the school days when activity buses are offered, the media centers at all three middle schools will remain open so students can complete homework and conduct research.

The centers also will provide a quiet environment where students can study under adult supervision until 4:15 p.m. each day, Mason said.

Activity Bus Drop-Off Schedule

The following is a tentative activity bus drop-off schedule for Bernotas Middle School:

Bernotas Activity Bus Route 1
1. Polaris Drive at Harvest Gate in Lake in the Hills.
2. Indian Prairie School, 651 Village Road, Crystal Lake.
3. Turnberry Country Club, 9600 Turnberry Trail, Lakewood.

Bernotas Activity Bus Route 2
1. West School, 100 Briarwood Drive, Crystal Lake.
2. West Beach, 2300 Lake Ave., Crystal Lake.
3. Harvest Circle at Autumn Drive, Crystal Lake.

Bernotas Activity Bus Route 3
1. Ridgefield Trailer Park in Ridgefield
2. South Country Club Road at Railroad Street in Ridgefield

The following is an activity bus drop-off schedule is for Lundahl Middle School, and also is subject to change:

Lundahl Activity Bus 1
1. Dartmoor Drive and New Castle, Crystal Lake
2. Woods Creek Elementary School, 1100 Alexandra Blvd., Crystal Lake.
3. Glacier Ridge Elementary School, 1120 Village Road, Crystal Lake

Lundahl Activity Bus 2
1. Barlina Road at Barlina Court, Crystal Lake
2. revising

Lundahl Activity Bus 3
1. revising
2. Waterford Cut at Boxwood Lane, Crystal Lake
3. revising


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