Illinois's Pekin 108 board delays Alltown bus contract vote to Nov 16
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Pekin 108's school board voted to push its Alltown bus contract decision to Nov. 16.
The district had already canceled school days over late and missing buses.
Background
Pekin 108 is an Illinois school district whose board is reviewing its contract with Alltown, the bus contractor that runs its routes. The board had extended a default notice last month giving Alltown until Oct. 16 to fix late and no-show buses, and new routes took effect earlier this month. The issue drew attention after the district canceled school for the rest of the first week in August when buses ran late or never showed up.
How it unfolded
- Aug 2026Pekin 108 canceled school for the rest of the first week after buses ran late or never showed up.
- Oct 19, 2026The Pekin 108 school board dropped a first vote to approve the Alltown contract, then voted to delay the decision to Nov. 16 and pay Alltown for work completed so far.
- Oct 20, 2026St. Paul's school board voted unanimously to postpone a proposal to terminate English language teachers midyear, five hours into a raucous meeting.
- Oct 21, 2026Schools in the Miami Valley and central Ohio were closed or delayed due to dense fog, with Celina City Schools and St. Marys City Schools closed after two-hour delays.
- Oct 22, 2026Construction delays pushed the opening of the new Goddard School childcare and early education facility in Round Rock to early 2027.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- Board member Mike Tibbs said any termination provision should not take effect until the end of the school year and should require at least six months' notice, calling it "an atrocious project" that "should not be in there."
- Official
- Superintendent Leonard Ealey said Alltown has shown improvement, with on-time performance now around 93%, and recommended approving the contract while continuing to monitor.
- Party
- Alltown says routing changes take about 48 to 72 hours, with schools notifying parents.
Still unverified
The WHIO story on Miami Valley fog closures and delays is described as a developing story that will continue to be updated.