Chicago Public Schools Recognizes National School Bus Safety Week Amid a nationwide shortage of bus drivers, CPS continues to recruit drivers with the assistance of District vendors

Chicago Public Schools Recognizes National School Bus Safety Week
Amid a nationwide shortage of bus drivers, CPS continues to recruit drivers with the assistance of District vendors

CHICAGO – With thousands of students traveling by bus every day to and from school and for school events, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is joining school districts across the nation to celebrate National School Bus Safety Week.

National School Bus Safety Week, which has its origins in a 1969 letter writing campaign to President Richard Nixon, is observed annually during the third week of October.

“National School Bus Safety Week is a time when we recalibrate and continue to raise awareness regarding the policies and procedures created to keep our students safe,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “Our school communities expect us to ensure our students are top of mind when it comes to safety. This week — and every other — we’re committed to student safety.”

CPS remains committed to continuing to work with vendors, City partners and families to identify solutions and ensure every eligible student has safe, secure, and reliable transportation to and from school.

CPS had more requests for transportation services this year than prior years. The District has also seen a large increase in the number of Diverse Learners, up more than 2,500 students this year (2023-24) from the previous school year (2022-23). As of Oct. 10, CPS has successfully routed 8,105 students with an additional 5,350 students taking advantage of the District’s offer to accept a financial incentive or use a paid Ventra card in lieu of school bus transportation.

In order to match the need of students requesting transportation, the District in the past couple of years, has expanded contracts to 13 bus companies that each handle hiring. Bus driver resumes can also be sent to a CPS email, driver@cps.edu, and the District’s Transportation Department will disburse resumes to companies.

Consuela Brown has been a driver with District vendor Ammons Transportation for the past 18 years. She says she has always wanted to become a driver.

“Driving is my dream job. I love going to different places, seeing different things and interacting with the kids,” said Brown. “Sometimes they make my day and sometimes I make theirs. They depend on me to get to school.”

The District continues to work with community partners and vendors to hold hiring fairs and staff booths at local events:

10/25 - West Lawn Park job fair; 4233 W. 65th St.

10/26 - CPS School Job Fairs

Higgins Community Academy; 11710 S. Morgan St.

Marquette School; 6550 S. Richmond

Jamieson Elementary; 5650 N. Mozart St.

Theophilus Schmid School; 9755 S. Greenwood

Cesar Chavez Elementary; 4747 S. Marshfield Ave.

10/26 - CBO Collective Fair; 3605 W. Fillmore St.

10/28 - Olive Harvey College, 10001 S. Woodlawn

10/28 - Wright College, 4300 N. Narragansett Ave.

“We understand how crucial safe transportation is for our students, and we’re committed to working with dedicated drivers who share this vision,” said CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield. “The drivers who are working for our District vendors are well aware of their responsibilities and take safety very seriously.”

For more information regarding CPS transportation services, visit the District’s website: https://www.cps.edu/services-and-supports/transportation-services/.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is dedicated to providing a high-quality education to all students, beginning with the District’s free full-day preschool programming for four-year-old scholars and continuing through neighborhood, magnet and selective-enrollment elementary schools that provide a rigorous K-8 education with schools that specialize in the fine arts, world language and culture, dual language, STEM, International Baccalaureate (IB), classical programs, and more. The rising District-wide freshmen-on-track and high school graduation rates reflect the hard work of the CPS community, including families, staff, and students across 635 schools. CPS celebrates the diversity of its more than 322,000 students who cite 182 home languages. Learn more about CPS at www.cps.edu and connect with CPS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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