By Sharon Stevens Education Reporter

Waterloo, IL (KSDK) - The continuing budget crisis in Illinois is prompting a number of school districts to either cut or sharply reduce school bus service.

The changes really affect those students who live closer to schools.

Whether it's Fairview Heights or Waterloo, students living within a mile-and-a-half of their school won't get to ride on the bus unless there's a hazardous intersection.

The Lighthouse Learning Center is a daycare and after-school center that, until this year, operated several programs in partnership with the Waterloo School District.

But now the district is restricting bus transportation to and from the center and it has canceled the Lighthouse's contract to conduct after-school programs at two elementary schools.

Lighthouse will accept some students from those canceled programs at its main Waterloo center, but it can't take them all.

"We're buying a bus today, and I'm kind of excited about that, yes. Why are you buying a bus? Because Waterloo will no longer provide the transportation for our children. So we'll have children here before and after school," said manager Mary Kay Prader.

A letter went home to Waterloo parents a few days ago, but school starts in less than a month.

NewsChannel 5 contacted the school district but no one was available to speak.

KSDK