D122 Extends Busing Survey Through Today

is giving parents a bit more time to respond to a survey soliciting feedback on bus schedule options.

The survey was sent last week and was originally set to expire Friday night. The district sent an email to parents Sunday saying the survey will remain open until 3 p.m. today, Feb. 6.

Parents are asked whether they are satisfied with this year's new bus schedules, which were changed to have intermediate students arrive to school at 7:30 a.m. and saved the district about $372,000.

Because of some parents' concern with the new schedules, the district promised to look at alternatives and settled on six options, all of which would bring new costs.

Some District 122 board members previously said they thought a survey wouldn't elicit a strong response from parents. District officials couldn't be reached immediately Sunday to comment how many parents have responded through last week.

Read, "Parents Voice Busing Concerns to D122 Board."

The survey didn't specifically ask parents to pick one of the six options, which district spokeswoman Jenny Zimmerman said was done to keep parents from committing to one cost or one plan. For example, one question asked parents what was most important, and they could choose between junior high students going to school first, having the same start times for children by campus or having the same start times for each grade level.

"We went more with the philosophy behind it to really get a pulse and find out what mattered most," Zimmerman said. "Then you've got a couple options to look at."

To take the survey, parents must go to PowerSchool.