Peotone School Board Faces Public Scrutiny Over Bus Accident Response

Peotone School Board Meeting | November 17, 2025

Article Summary:
Parents and community members at the November 17 board meeting raised serious concerns about Peotone School District 207-U’s handling of a recent bus accident involving students, alleging failures in communication, safety protocols, and official reporting.

Bus Accident Response Key Points:

• Parents reported they were not officially notified by the district and learned of the accident from their children.

• Public commenters alleged required post-accident driver training records do not exist, despite official reports stating they do, and that student IDs were not checked upon release.

• The board was asked to conduct a full review of the incident response and take corrective action.

• Board President Dawn Love stated she was not aware of the information presented and thanked the speakers for bringing it to the board’s attention.

PEOTONE, IL — The Peotone School District 207-U Board of Education on Monday, November 17, 2025, faced sharp criticism from the public regarding its response to a recent bus accident, with speakers alleging significant lapses in communication, safety procedures, and official documentation.

Community member John Maxedon and parent Jolene Molina, whose daughter was on the bus, addressed the board during public comment to detail a series of concerns following the accident on October 30.

Molina stated that parents were not notified of the accident by the district in a timely manner. “My child called me. Nobody from the district, no text message, no phone call,” Molina said. “This is not rapid communication, nor does it align with the parental involvement standard in policy 895, which states, ‘Parents must be kept thoroughly informed.'”

She added that when parents arrived to pick up their children, their IDs were not checked. “Releasing the minor students without verifying identity is a significant safety lapse,” Molina stated, noting that “anybody could have walked in and signed out my child.”

Maxedon focused on procedural discrepancies, alleging that the district’s policies for both yellow school buses and white activity buses were not followed. He stated that a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed that required initial and annual driver training records did not exist. However, he claimed a report sent to the regional superintendent following the accident indicated that the training had occurred.

“If the FOIA request was responded to saying that no such records existed, but the report to the regional superintendent said that they did, the question I have is, was the FOIA not fulfilled completely or did we lie to the regional superintendent?” Maxedon asked the board.

He also questioned the timing of the post-accident drug screening, which he said occurred at 11:36 a.m. the day after the 6:56 a.m. accident, calling the delay “unacceptable.”

Both speakers called on the board to conduct a full review of the incident and its aftermath.

Board President Dawn Love responded to the comments, stating, “You shared information that I wasn’t aware of. I don’t know if anybody else was. And I appreciate your bringing it to our attention.”