Minooka bus drivers to pack board meeting, raise concerns about safety issues and transparency

MINOOKA - Minooka Transportation Association (MTA) members will be attending tonight's Minooka Community High School District 111 Board of Education (BOE) meeting. MTA's president plans to address the board regarding several safety concerns on buses and call on the district to be more transparent about the transportation budget and the use of taxpayer dollars.

"What's happening in this district is wrong and someone could end up severely injured. Parents deserve to know their kids are safe when they get on board our buses, and that they'll be coming home safely at the end of the day," MTA President Denee Robertson said. "We're doing all we can as drivers, but the district has to make some changes. Our students deserve better."

The MTA represents 39 bus drivers and aides working in District 111. MTA supports the more than 2,800 students who attend school in the district.

There are several issues MTA wants to make sure the board and community are aware of, including:

• Safety issues: District 111 buses are overcrowded and unsafe. Drivers are being forced to transport students without a clear view of the back window. Students are sitting in the aisles or piled on laps, three to a seat, which means we're not in compliance with safety recommendations from the state.
• Special needs safety issues: The districts vans for students with special needs are falling apart and overcrowded. They all have well over 200,000 miles. They've increased the number of students in the vans and route times are now longer, too.
• Transparency: MTA is calling for the district to adhere to a consistent and equitable set of standards, guidelines and rules. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money is being spent and how, when it comes to shared resources between district 111 and 201.
• Bus driver shortage: District 111 is not filling open positions, yet they have the means to do so. This means there are not enough drivers to cover all routes and this drastically extends transportation times. Transportation to sporting events and other school related activities is in jeopardy and leads to wasting taxpayer dollars by hiring charter buses.

"We're looking forward to working together with all stakeholders to address these issues. We know that strong schools mean strong communities, and we think it's incredibly important that we address these issues right away," Robertson said.

The MTA is currently negotiating its first contract with District 111. The parties have been bargaining since April. Their next bargaining session is set for Thurs., Oct. 17.

Tonight's BOE meeting is at 6 p.m., in the District 111 administration building (201 S. Wabena Ave., Minooka).

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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state's largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.