Seeing the bus in the morning was dreadful, but by the end of day it was truly a wonderful sight. This was especially true if you were involved in after school activities, but did not have your own transportation. 

Unfortunately, the school referendum failed last spring which led to a ripple effect throughout the extracurricular program this year. A big loss from this was the removal of the late bus. If you are familiar with this, the late bus was guaranteed transportation home from O’Plaine, every day, after school activities or meetings with teachers. This allowed students, especially underclassmen to get involved without having to worry about having to get a ride or walk.

This really hits home for me because my parents worked until the evening which left me with no other options; I took the late bus every time I had an after school activity. The late bus allowed me to explore my interests and get involved without having to put a burden on my parents. 

The late bus allowed me to start as a member of the Black Student Union and eventually become President. Many underclassmen will not have the chance to do the same because of the late bus removal. This will put them at a disadvantage socially and academically if they choose to pursue college. 

The Black Student Union is seeing this effect personally; without the late bus, we have lost about half of the membership we usually have. As a result, I will be the only original (pre-COVID) officer once the class of 2022 graduates.  

Fortunately, on June 22, 2021 the Board of Education approved the placing of a referendum question on the next available election ballot, which will be at the June 28, 2022 election. 

My story is just one of many, and I hope this article encourages you to persuade your family and community to vote yes on the next referendum to ensure that future classes will have the opportunity to build their future and get involved in the community.