| The purpose of this study was to estimate the percentage of Illinois public school districts using vans for student transportation and to identify the purposes and reasons for which vans were used. Survey responses were obtained from 485 public school district superintendents in Illinois. Reasons given for van use included transporting students to or from school, curricular-related activities, interscholastic activities, transporting special education students to or from out-of-district placements, and transporting special education students to or from community activities related to the curriculum. The four highest rated reasons for using vans for student transportation were: vans are less expensive than school buses, vans are a convenient size, districts already own vans, and van drivers are not required to hold school bus permits. The research results seem to suggest that school administrators may not be clear on the state and federal laws governing school use of 15-passenger vans for student transportation, and that safety concerns associated with vans may not be well known. |
