SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Springfield Public School District’s bus routing system is, perhaps, intricate.  But in the minds of some, maybe not intricate enough.

Take board member Micah Miller, who had to figure out at the last minute there was no bus for one of his children to get to school this year.

“We have a freshman at Lanphier, and we live 2.6 miles from Lanphier,” said Miller.  “I was positive that, per district policy, we would see a yellow bus at some point.  But, it was one week before school, that we didn’t have that information, and then had to scramble” to make alternative transportation plans.

1.5 miles is the number of miles at most the district tries to set for high school-age students to walk to a corner or bus stop from their front door.  That walking distance is lower for lower grade levels.  In some cases, students end up taking SMTD, based on eligibility requirements.

Miller wasnt pleased with both the lack of a bus, and not knowing until just before school that his address wasnt covered by a bus route.

Here’s something you didn’t know about how Springfield Public Schools, and operator First Student, figure out how many buses are needed, how many routes are needed, and what those routes will be.

“We have a router who is out of town,” said Steve Miller, district business manager.  “He lives in Cleveland, and he routes all our routes for us.  So, the question is, how does he know our town?  He’s got a pretty good idea what our town operates like.  He learns more and more as he does routing each year.”

Miller says thats partly because of the use of things like Google Maps, and what the drivers themselves report on a daily basis, as well as the district.

Population also has something to do with it, as does where there are considered to be dangerous areas buses shouldnt go.

Miller admits there are probably areas that need to be updated more, as the board expressed concerns.  But, even this early in the year, things are getting better.  After starting out at an on-time rate of around 85 percent, he says it’s already gone up to 90 percent.  95 percent is national average, but Miller says he’d love to see the district’s rate go up to 97 percent.