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BusBoss Blogs

Parental Peace of Mind: How Parent Portal Apps Enhance School Bus Communication

If your district is looking for better ways to communicate with parents about your transportation system, one of the best options is setting up a parental portal app

Parent portal apps are protected and secured interfaces which allow recognized parents and guardians to access information about their students. They can serve many purposes, but one of the most effective applications is giving parents information about your bus schedule and ridership.

Do Long School Bus Rides Save Money, And At What Cost To The Student?

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Finding ways to save more money for education is always a valid and worthwhile endeavor, as there can’t be an upper price placed on your children’s education. However, whether your district chooses to consolidate the total number of schools into a smaller number consisting of larger schools, or minimize school transportation costs, can have serious effects on your most valuable commodity: your students.

Beyond the Wheels: Exploring Innovative Designs for Modern School Buses

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When it comes to "classic designs," it's hard to get more classic than the big yellow school bus. The basic look of American school buses was cemented in the 1940s, and hasn't changed much since... but the technology inside them has.

Modern school bus designs have numerous new features that improve their safety and reliability, and even more optional add-ons that can go further. Combined, these make modern school buses far better than buses of previous decades!

Benefits Of Integrating Student Info Systems With Bus Routing Software

Does your school district need an all-in-one software solution for keeping up with your students? After all, one of the biggest issues when schools look at updating their computer systems is the problem of systems integration. Ultimately,  , since otherwise there's a continual problem with ensuring the data moves freely as it's needed.

Ensuring Student Safety: How GPS Tracking Enhances School Bus Operations

For those overseeing school district transportation, keeping students safe is the top priority. As students travel to school every day, it's important to have confidence in the transportation system. But thanks to new technology, there are even better ways now to make sure students stay safe during their daily trip. Among these innovations, the integration of GPS tracking systems in school buses is especially noticeable.

Curbing Violence on School Buses

School-related violence is on the rise in the United States and this has parents and school district officials worried about the safety of students on buses. Bus drivers work in tight spaces and must constantly multitask. This stressful environment can be tricky to navigate, but specialized training for school bus drivers can help them to manage conflict and prevent violent, potentially tragic scenarios.

Streamlining School Transportation: The Power of Bus Routing Software

Streamlining School Transportation

As a school administrator or transportation coordinator, you are well aware of the complexities involved in managing transportation efficiently. Coordinating multiple bus routes, accommodating student locations, and ensuring timely arrivals and departures can be a challenging task. Traditional manual methods can often lead to errors, delays, and unnecessary costs. However, there is a powerful solution that can revolutionize your school transportation system - bus routing software.

Main Talking Points To Confront Parental Concerns Of A Student Tracking Device

Student GPS tracking has been a topic of hot debate amongst parents. While certain myths about student tracking have been spread around, the benefits of this added safety feature to school bus routing software have proven to be far more powerful than the misinformation. 

5 Key Benefits of Implementing a School Bus Fleet Management System

Supervising a school bus fleet can often feel like a challenging task. Ensuring the safety and efficiency of your school transportation system is of most importance. Fortunately, with the advent of technology, there are now advanced school bus fleet management systems that can revolutionize the way school transportation is handled. Here are 5 benefits of applying a system to your fleet.

Ways to Communicate School Bus Route Changes

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 When it comes to drawing up bus routes, most districts try to do it at the beginning of the school year and stick with it. Sometimes that’s just not possible, and circumstances beyond their control dictate that routes may have to be re-planned during the school year. This brings up a big problem – how to inform parents of school bus route changes and ensure every child still gets on the right bus home.

Tornado Preparedness For School Bus Drivers

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How Do I Know If There Are There Sex Offenders Near My Child’s School Bus Stop?

Many states have laws that prevent registered sex offenders from living too close to schools and parks, but I am not aware of any that restricts their residence based on bus stop location.  Given that suburban and rural America is splattered with bus stops, it is extremely likely that there are registered sex offenders that live near school bus stops.  Registered sex offenders can move just like anyone else.  When was the last time you checked for registered sex offenders near your child’s bus stop?

15 Ways Pearson PowerSchool Integration Brings Peace of Mind

It seems to happen so rarely, but doesn't your school district run more smoothly when everyone's more-or-less satisfied?

Make Sure Your School Bus Safety Plan Prepares You For An Accident

Throughout the many years BusBoss has been bringing school districts transportation management software, we have heard numerous stories about school bus accidents, and these accidents are deeply troubling to us.

Ways to Decrease Costs With Fuel Management

With school district finances being stretched to the max, administrators are being asked to find innovative solutions for saving money to avoid cutting programs. School District transportation departments are often called upon to minimize their budgets and seek out new ways to save money on transportation costs. Focusing on fuel management is one way to cut costs. Here are 5 ways that you can do just that.

Reasons School Bus Drivers Quit

The current shortage of school bus drivers is really a twofold problem. Part of the problem is recruitment, but the other part is in retention. School bus drivers have a turnover rate that's significantly higher than average - particularly when it comes to retaining drivers over the summer.

To do anything about this, a school transportation manager should understand why bus drivers are so quick to quit. While there has been little large-scale research into the problem, anecdotally we hear the same reasons over and over.

Tips for School Bus Driver Evacuation Training

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 No one likes to contemplate the idea of a school bus being involved in a major accident, such as one which leads to it flipping or rolling. But, the reality is that such accidents are always a possibility. Even the best-trained school bus driver can be undone by circumstances beyond their control.

So, bus evacuation is an aspect of bus safety training that simply can't be ignored. The school bus driver and the students need the best possible chance of escaping a bus, even under crisis conditions.

Serving Students and Communities With School Bus Transportation

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Even though big yellow buses are most commonly associated with schools, that doesn't mean school bus transportation is only about schools. A fleet of buses is a genuine asset for any community, and they can be put to creative use in ways that go beyond their daily student transportation.

This is especially good to keep in mind when you're pushing for more investments into school bus programs and school bus routing software. With the residents of many communities being so reluctant to pay for more services, being able to talk about added benefits of having a school bus fleet can be a major selling point. Convince the community that school buses can be good for everyone and they'll be more likely to sign off on funding. Some of these could even be revenue-driving opportunities.

What Should Be Included In A School Bus GPS Parent App?

school bus gps parent app.jpg More and more districts are starting to adopt GPS tracking systems in their buses, to help them track and optimize their fleets. However, GPS systems can have another big benefit. When paired with the right school bus GPS parent app, it can make life easier for parents while drastically cutting down on "where is my kid?" calls to the main office.

The two go together hand-in-hand, if you're using the right app. There are a lot of options on the market, so here are some of the most important features to look for.

Safer Bus Routes: Avoiding “Danger Zones"

Scheduling safe school bus routes is a serious initiative for every school district. As a school administrator, transportation manager or transportation contractor, your main goal is to get students to and from school safely, every day. 

3 Simple Driver Strategies To Plan Safer Field Trips

For hundreds of years, field trips have been a tried and true teaching technique. Taking students out of a classroom and into a "real world" situation has always been a good way of reinforcing the lessons, and showing that they aren't just abstract exercises.

Dealing with Bullies on the Bus

Bullying in the educational setting is a problem that has captured the attention of school districts across North America. Anytime the physical and emotional safety of a child is threatened, their ability to learn decreases. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 10 percent of school bullying happens on buses. In order to keep bullying at bay in your district, it’s vital to train bus drivers so that they are prepared to handle threats.

Student Tracking Made Simpler

Keeping track of students is a priority that is increasing in importance in school districts across North America and around the world. One of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to track students is by utilizing an ID system. Meta Description: Student ID badge usage is an efficient and cost-effective way to track students. Learn more about utilizing RFID systems  to keep students safe and save districts money.

Specialized Transportation Services

School bus transportation is one of the easiest and safest ways for students to get to and from school. Students with special needs, however, may need certain accommodations to ride the bus safely. School districts across the country are assessing the effectiveness of their specialized transportation services and determining how they can provide the safest and most efficient bus rides for every student.

What Are School Bus Drivers Looking For?

There are a lot of factors behind the current shortage of school bus drivers. One of the biggest reasons is that school bus driving can be seen as an unattractive career choice. There are many common problems and complaints about school bus driving which can prevent otherwise qualified people from pursuing it. A school district should look to mitigate these factors and offer school bus drivers what they want from their jobs. This will go a long way towards ensuring their routes remain fully staffed.

Identifying High-Risk Drivers

Many challenges face school district transportation managers when it comes to the current bus driver shortage, but one of the biggest issues is keeping driver quality high. Even when good drivers are hard to find, that can never justify hiring a bad driver or one who may compromise school bus safety. Likewise, if a bus driver shows themselves to be high-risk while on the road, they need immediate retraining - or termination - no matter the costs involved.

There are plenty of warning signs of a driver who is at high risk of accidents and other problematic behavior, so keep an eye out to ensure your drivers are always prioritizing safety.

What A School Bus GPS Parent App Should Include

school bus gps parent app.jpg More and more districts are starting to adopt GPS tracking systems in their buses, to help them track and optimize their fleets. However, GPS systems can have another big benefit. When paired with the right school bus GPS parent app, it can make life easier for parents while drastically cutting down on "where is my kid?" calls to the main office.

The two go together hand-in-hand, if you're using the right app. There are a lot of options on the market, so here are some of the most important features to look for.

Serving Students With Autism

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Autism is a term frequently used to describe a group of neuro-developmental disorders. Students on the autism spectrum generally experience challenges related to communication, social interaction and restrictive or repetitive interests or behaviors. These special needs students may also have additional needs due to medical issues, anxiety, sensory sensitivity and differences in coordination or muscle tone. Transporting students on the autism spectrum takes thorough advance planning and special accommodations.

Child Safety Restraint Systems on School Buses

The subject of child safety restraint systems such as seat belts on school buses has been hotly debated for many years. Properly installed child safety restraint systems keep small children restrained in their seats during bus travel. They can come installed in school buses from the factory, or added to buses at a later time. Though there is no federal mandate, many individual school districts and states are choosing to install these safety tools on their buses. So, when and why, would you install safety restraint systems on your district’s buses?

Signs School Buses Are Over-Crowded

Out of all the jobs a school does, there's probably none that's more central or vital than protecting the students in its care. Unfortunately, it seems like there's been a rash of incidents lately with schools running buses that are dangerously overcrowded.

Benefits of RFID Student Ridership Tracking Systems

Technology is making lives easier in just about every way, and school districts are now harnessing the power of these advancements to keep students safe. RFID student ridership tracking has been implemented in school buses around the country, and these systems are not only improving transportation department safety records, they are also saving them money. Students are issued a unique ID which is scanned when they enter and exit the bus, which is also tracked via GPS. Here are four benefits of RFID student ridership tracking systems.

RFID student ridership tracking systems make emergency management easier.

Why Should School Bus Routes Look at Avoiding Left Turns?

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There are things we do in BusBoss to minimize left turns, but we do not prevent them.  Specifically, in the routing algorithm, we assign a "value" for navigating an intersection.  It's not exactly like this, but it's close enough for discussion purposes.

How A Student Tracker Will Protect Your School And Students

As a parent and a school administrator, your greatest concern is the safety of your kids. You need to know exactly where they are, what they are doing and what their parents are saying about where they should be. With many incidents of child abduction and kidnappings, the school and the transportation system to school and back to their homes needs to be monitored to ensure all the kids are where they are supposed to be. In order to protect your students, you need to adopt a student tracker, which will give you an edge in making sure they are safe.

Tracking Student Incidents And Maintaining Bus Safety

School Bus Safety is an often neglected topic for many people, which is unfortunate because millions of students are transported daily on school buses.  We have a civic responsibility to promote school bus safety whenever, and wherever, we can.

5 Important Factors When Securing Wheel Chairs

Has your district recently reviewed their policies for dealing with wheelchair-bound students on school buses? Ever since the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1976, schools have been required to make accommodations for children in wheelchairs, including bus accessibility. Dealing with wheelchair-bound students creates unique school bus safety issues, and it's vital to do everything possible to keep them safe.

In today's blog, we wanted to touch on key aspects and best practices when working with your mobility-impaired students. If you haven't checked to ensure you're up-to-date on wheelchair policies, it's a perfect time to do so.

Who Is Responsible for School Bus Safety?

One of the biggest mistakes we occasionally see people make in regards to bus driving is believing that school bus safety begins and ends on the school bus itself. It's understandable how someone might take a reductive view on the matter since, after all, the driver is the one at the steering wheel.

However, the reality is that school bus safety goes far beyond the driver themselves. Keeping our children safe on school buses is an effort that almost everyone in a school district can contribute to. So we wanted to talk a bit about this, and the various ways people can help ensure our school bus rides are as safe as possible.

Pennsylvania School Buses: Should You Use Contracted Services?

To outsource or not to outsource? For decades, this has been a pressing question which student bus transportation coordinators have wrestled with.

How To Fund The Implementation of Electric School Buses

Every year, more pressure is put on school districts to move away from older gasoline/diesel school buses, and to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) instead. EVs have become entirely viable for bus fleets while bringing numerous advantages. EVs require less maintenance, are cheaper to run, and produce effectively no pollution.

Training Drivers to Deal With Emergencies

School bus drivers are typically required to complete extensive training before hitting the road. In most districts, this includes instruction for dealing with emergency situations. Deciding what topics should be covered can be a difficult decision because training utilizes valuable time and resources. Here are some subjects that should be included in your school bus safety training program.

The Fight Against Illegal School Bus Passing

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Illegal passing of school buses is a major school bus safety concern. Though passing a stopped school bus is against the law in most areas, traffic codes vary from state to state. Because this poses such a threat to students, many local governments are cracking down and developing legislation to prevent the practice.

Increasing School Bus Security

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In recent years, school districts around the country have had to improve security in response to ever more shootings, violence, and even terrorist activity. It's a dangerous world, and schools have to be prepared. However, all too often a district will focus all its efforts on their school buildings and other immediate property, while mostly overlooking school bus security.

How to Deal With Slow Traffic Areas For Buses

In many cities across the United States, morning and evening rush hour can be frustrating and a difficult undertaking. This issue is no different for school buses as they hit the same local traffic as other motorists. Through the use of modern technology that many drivers use on a daily basis, there is an efficient solution for slow traffic areas for school buses: school bus routing software with integrated GPS tracking. Essentially, it is software that automatically finds the best routes for your buses based on current local traffic conditions.

Fleet Maintenance: How Clean Is Today's Diesel Fuel?

Until recently, diesel fuel was associated with school buses that were loud, dirty and smelled bad. Over the past several years, diesel has become cleaner, though certain myths still exist about its true environmental impact. School buses provide reliable transportation for millions of American students each day, so it’s no wonder that parents and school administrators worry about how diesel fuel affects health.

Ways To Get Things Under Control With Route Management Software

One of the most frustrating and difficult responsibilities when it comes to managing an entire fleet of transportation vehicles, whether it is cars or buses, is making sure that all of those vehicles are where they need to be, on time, and don't have any missing students. There is, of course, much more to it than just those responsibilities, but the biggest one is undeniably making sure that transportation is efficient and inexpensive while still providing a helpful resource to students and parents alike.

Transporting Special Needs Children

There are many challenges involved in running and managing a school transportation system, but the issue of transporting special needs children is its own special category. Because schools are generally obligated to provide services and work around the needs of the children, it can create extremely unique challenges for each district

Top 10 Things to Consider When Looking for a Driver Navigation App

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid rate, it’s only natural that we would start seeing innovations to the process of getting students to and from school. A few different school bus routing software companies have come out with driver navigation apps so it’s important to know what you’re looking for when you decide to purchase. We have compiled a list of 10 things that we believe are worth thinking about.

What You Need In A Transportation Supervisor

As transportation systems become more complex, handling their management and oversight similarly becomes a more complex task. In the past, you may have done well enough scheduling and routing your vehicles with strings and pushpins on maps, and using simple radio (or cell phone) contact to keep in touch with drivers on the road.

How Long Does Implementation of Bus Routing Software Take?

One of the primary concerns of school district administrators seeking to use fleet management and GPS tracking software for route optimization is the amount of time the implementation process takes. Bus routing software offers a significant number of benefits to school transportation programs. Some of the primary reasons administrators choose route management systems for their transportation needs include:

Know Your Drivers To Keep Our Kids Safe

Every day we trust school bus drivers all across the country to safely transport our children to and from school and any programs in between.  Most of us probably never give it a second thought. I just read an article awhile back that explains how a 17 year old passenger on a school bus prevented a traffic accident which would certainly have resulted in passenger injuries or maybe even deaths.

Why Diversity Training For School Bus Drivers Is A Must

While it's true that bus driver training is already a fairly lengthy process, more school districts are starting to add another element to their curriculum: diversity training. Providing diversity training to your school bus drivers can help them fit in better among your other district employees, as well as reduce the chances of unfortunate misunderstandings during their interactions with students or parents.

Providing such training to bus drivers is far from universal, but it could be well worth the slight addition to your training program.

Bus Safety: Don’t Turn That Bus Around

School buses are big.  Really big! Whenever a school bus needs to turn around, especially when backing up, the potential for an accident is a lot higher.  There are quite a few blind spots at the back of the bus that could prevent the driver from seeing a parked car or even a child.

The Benefits of Having Wi-Fi on School Buses

Wi-Fi on School Buses.jpg What was once the stuff of science fiction, is now a way of life. The Internet is everywhere, even on school buses! One district in California made the bold decision to make Wi-Fi available to its student population and the concept is quickly catching on. This may seem like just a luxury, but there are actually some solid reasons why school districts are offering Wi-Fi on school buses. Here are three key benefits:

How Should I Protect Sensitive Data Within Our Bus Routing Software Data?

While creating safe and efficient school bus routes is the main focus of most school district transportation programs, protecting student, parent and school data should be a major priority. School transportation software offers benefits such as route optimization, but the software also stores sensitive data. One of the ways your school district is able to protect data when using bus routing software is by weighing the benefits and disadvantages of utilizing the single sign-on option. Single sign-on allows school district employees who use route management systems to access every available feature by signing into the program one time with a single password.

How Drivers Can Connect With Special Needs Students On The School Bus

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Are your bus drivers doing everything they can to look after any special needs students riding the school bus?

Using Google Maps to Manually Locate Schools in BusBoss

BusBoss does a great job of automatically locating addresses, but there are times when it cannot find the school’s location.  When this happens, you can use google maps to manually locate schools in BusBoss.  Here’s how…

An Analysis of Costs And School Bus Maintenance

School buses transport millions of students each day to and from schools and special activities. During an average school year, around 10 billion student trips are made. Buses come in many designs and capacities and different districts have varying requirements regarding the age that each bus should be in service. Both of these factors, along with the size of your fleet, influence the total cost of school bus maintenance for your district.

Display Dead Ends to Find Map Problems

School bus route optimization requires accurate map data.  Different map sources are available but there are several aspects of map data that determines its quality.

Special Medical Condition Reports And School Bus Safety


Nobody likes to think about accidents or medical emergencies, especially when you’re also thinking about school buses and students.  Accidents do happen.  Medical emergencies do happen.  It’s important that we prepare for them.  One important thing you can do is to make sure you have details of each student’s special medical conditions on the school bus.

Not all students will have special medical conditions, but for those students that do, you should have the information available to the school bus driver, EMT’s and paramedics that may be dispatched during an emergency situation.

Using a high quality school bus routing application like BusBoss will certainly help to make this information available to your drivers.  During an emergency situation, the driver can provide this information to emergency personnel so that appropriate treatment can be given to the students.  Often times this information is available in your student information system, which is a convenient place to keep it for everyone except the bus driver.  BusBoss allows special medical conditions to be imported in to the BusBoss database.  This information will then print on various reports which can be given to the driver for storage on the school bus.

Ways to Improve How You Track Student Ridership

Today’s technology allows parents and school district employees to determine if a student is on a bus, in real-time. The ever-increasing use of smart phones and tablets means that more and more people expect to have access to information about their children’s whereabouts so that they can act quickly should an emergency arise.

Managing Field Trips And Common Questions You May Have

In the interest of helping you accurately estimate school transportation's
costs in the event of any planned field trips, it is instructive to review a short compendium of the most common questions asked by administrators and field-trip coordinators nationwide. Preparing for these actually tends to reduce school transportation costs because the answers facilitate better planning before the request for buses goes out, as well as make the field trip process more efficient overall.

When Does Your District Need to Outsource Student Transportation

There are certainly pros and cons to outsourcing student transportation, and many administrators hold strong opinions on the matter. With more and more districts facing the stark reality of decreased budgets, transportation outsourcing is becoming a common practice.

How To Display Dead Ends to Find Map Problem

School bus route optimization requires accurate map data.  Different map sources are available but there are several aspects of map data that determines its quality.

How To Fight Germs on Your School Buses

In the years of the coronavirus, RSV, strep and the flu - and with most researchers suggesting these will continue to be a threat in the upcoming years - school bus safety measures now largely revolve around finding ways to prevent spread of the diseases going around our schools. Most schools are doing this with traditional disinfecting products like sanitary wipes and sprays, but this is a slow and time-consuming process that can still miss a lot of contaminated areas.

Top 3 Reasons For GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems

Expectations are high for schools to provide transportation that is cost-efficient, safe and accountable.  Schools are tasked with making the most of their resources while delivering A+ service to their students, parents and communities.

How Safe Is Your School Bus Stop?

In a previous post, I talked about registered sex offenders that may live near your child’s bus stop "Are There Sex Offenders Near My Child's School Bus Stop". This is important to know, but it doesn’t mention other threats that may exist for your children.

Safely Transporting Special Needs Children

There are many challenges involved in running and managing a school transportation system, but the issue of transporting special needs children is its own special category. Because schools are generally obligated to provide services and work around the needs of the children, it can create extremely unique challenges for each district.

How To Know If Your School's Bus Routes Are Safe And Efficient

How long has it been since your school district updated its bus routing and tracking policies?

How To Make Court Ordered Split Custody School Bus Routing Easier

As a transportation director, you have many responsibilities.  Accommodating court ordered split custody school bus routing is just another one of them.  While you may find this to be a nuisance, there is school transportation management software available that can help keep track of it all.  

Why You Need a School Bus Tracking App

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How much oversight do you have over your buses, while they're on the road? If one suddenly came to an unexpected stop or deviated from its route without warning, how long would it take you to know?

For too many districts, the answer would be "a long time." Without being able to directly track buses on their routes, they're left with little way of overseeing bus's progress aside from relying on radio reports. And if the bus driver is unable -or unwilling- to radio in, they're basically in the dark. 

Tips for Recruiting School Bus Drivers

We keep waiting for the bus driver shortage to end, but it doesn't. For years now, schools have been struggling to find enough school bus drivers to keep all their routes running, and still the problem persists. According to recent studies, 24% of districts describe their shortage to be "severe" or "desperate," and another 38% report "moderate" staffing problems. Only around 10% claim to have no driver staffing issues at all.

In short, districts will have to continue to hustle if they're going to find new drivers, and keep trying new tactics. Here are some more things to try!

Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Route Optimization Software?

If you're in the business of planning a school's bus schedule, we don't have to tell you how demanding the job is.  Hundreds or thousands of children rely on you to get to and from school safely, and if any of them are even a few minutes late, you'll be hearing about it from panicked parents

 

With the latest in route optimization software, such as BusBoss, you can wring more efficiency and cost-savings out of your bus scheduling, while also helping ensure the children in your care always get where they need to be.

So, here are some tips for how to get the best use from top routing software packages!

Save Money and Lives With Modern Route Optimization Software:

•   Keeping your map current.  For far too long, route planners were locked into getting maps from payment-gated services, forcing them to keep paying or fall behind.  Current software packages allow you to update your own maps, at will, while keeping a log of changes for future audits.

The Growing Acceptance Of Student Tracking

Ever since its early adoption by some school districts, student and bus tracking has been a hot-button debate topic. Over the last few years, myths have been formulated and then debunked, and the benefits have abounded and transformed the skeptics. 

Winter School Bus Fleet Maintenance: Things to Consider

As drivers around the country break out their snow tires, school district transportation departments are preparing buses for chilly temperatures. Ensuring that your fleet stays in tip-top shape during the winter months takes some effort and planning. Here are some tips for winter school bus fleet maintenance.

How To Properly Use A Student Tracking Sheet

Having to track hundreds or thousands of students in the past was normally a paperwork nightmare. However, with advances in technology and being able to have students digitally sign in or have other technologically advanced means a much better and efficient system for you. And when you have a highly efficient system that accurately tracks students who are attending school every day, you are able to get the kind of funding you need for your school.

How Unified Communications Keep Everyone In The Loop

Unified Communications (UC) isn't just for big business any more. The technology and networking explosion of the last few years has made it possible for virtually any operation to benefit from "big data," not just the corporations.

In fact, schools around the country are discovering just how effective a UC solution can be for their district. For modest initial outlays, you can invest in a system that will truly speed your operations in every area, creating a school district that's more flexible and better-able to adjust to change.

15 Things a Student Information System Can Tell You

Are you still managing your student information on paper? Or are you still juggling Excel files, rather than investing in a true database solution?

School Bus Safety & Driver Fatigue

Driver fatigue has been the cause of many school bus accidents over the years.  There are instances of school bus drivers falling asleep behind the wheel resulting in students being injured and in the most unfortunate of circumstances being killed.

10 Things to Consider When Reorganizing Your Bus Routes

When it comes to running a school's transportation system, your precious cargo truly does come first.

Safe-Driving Incentives To Keep Your Top Bus Drivers

The use of in-bus GPS systems continues to spread, and for good reason. Geolocation tracking leads directly to better oversight, faster communication, shorter bus runs, and an overall safer experience for students on every ride.

The BEST Way To Keep Parents Informed of a School Emergency

While it would certainly be nice if we could run our school districts without the need to quickly contact parents, it's just not going to happen. Emergencies and unexpected events are impossible to avoid entirely, and sometimes, you simply need to get in touch with a parent ASAP.

8 Ways Schools Can Ensure Students Get on a Bus

When it comes to ensuring your school district receives as much state funding as possible, few ways are better than simply ensuring students are in their seats every morning.

15 Tips On How To Prepare For A Bus Route Change

There are few responsibilities facing a school district which are larger, more important, or more potentially hazardous than your need to transport hundreds or thousands of students safely, every day.

When Does Ensuring Child Stability Require Bus Routing?

We are currently living in the era of speed and mobility. While this can have numerous economical advantages, things are not always positive when it comes to children’s education. For the little ones, stability is very important and the lack of it can seriously impact their psychological and intellectual development. This is why, when the shift in your family’s residence allows it, parents should do their best to let kids attend the same school, even if it requires the use of public or private transportation. However, the choice of the preferred means of transport is not so easy. Here are some aspects to consider:

School Transportation Safety: 5 Crucial Tips for Driver Training

When it comes to providing school bus driver training, the key to success is going beyond the basics. Of course, a bus driver must know how to safely maneuver a bus, but the job of a school bus driver is filled with complexities that must be prepared for. Here are five crucial tips for driver training to increase school transportation and student safety.

How to Know When Your District Needs to Outsource Student Transportation

There are certainly pros and cons to outsourcing student transportation, and many administrators hold strong opinions on the matter. With more and more districts facing the stark reality of decreased budgets, transportation outsourcing is becoming a common practice.

Safer Bus Routes: Avoiding “Danger Zones” Takes A Two-Pronged Approach

Scheduling safe school bus routes is a serious initiative for every school district. As a school administrator, transportation manager, or transportation contractor, your main goal is to get students to and from school safely, every day. 

Identify Your Bus Routing Strengths And Weaknesses

When assessing your school district’s transportation program, there are a number of factors to analyze that make up a successful program. Cost management and benchmarking goals play an important role in determining how well your program operates.

The Right Bus Routing Software Can Improve Drivers’ Daily Routine

School bus driver satisfaction is an important goal for many transportation programs seeking to reduce employee turnover and provide beneficial work conditions to employees.

Does Your School District Need a Way To Find School Buses?

Student safety is the number one priority for school transportation professionals. With over 55% of US students riding school buses, finding the best way to operate a fleet impacts millions of students across the country. School districts are facing great pressure to meet the needs of their students with a minimal effect to their budget. Implementing a school bus finder can help your district do just that.

Different Types Of Businesses That Could Benefit From Routing Software

We've come a long way with transportation systems in the last few decades. Virtually anyone reading this likely remembers the days before GPS systems and computer-based mapping. After all, the standard GPS systems only officially went online in 1994! (It seems like longer, doesn't it?)

Tips for Transporting Service Animals on School Buses

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In recent years, many school districts have experienced an uptick in the amount of requests to transport service animals. In fact, some states now require this service by law. There are many reasons that a student may work with a service animal, usually a dog. These special animals help those with visual impairment, help to alert a student that they have a low or high blood sugar level, are about to have a seizure and even provide comfort during an anxiety attack.

Should Child Safety Restraint Systems Be Implemented on Your School Buses?

The subject of child safety restraint systems such as seat belts on school buses has been hotly debated for many years. Properly installed child safety restraint systems keep small children restrained in their seats during bus travel. They can come installed in school buses from the factory, or added to buses at a later time. Though there is no federal mandate, many individual school districts and states are choosing to install these safety tools on their buses. So, when and why would you install safety restraint systems on your district’s buses?

3 Ways That Technology Has Changed the Student Transportation Game

There is no denying that technology advances are affecting the way we work and live our lives. This is especially true when it comes to student transportation.

Practical Advice for Dealing with Bullies on the Bus

Bullying in the educational setting is a problem that has captured the attention of school districts across North America. Anytime the physical and emotional safety of a child is threatened, their ability to learn decreases. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 10 percent of school bullying happens on buses. In order to keep bullying at bay in your district, it’s vital to train bus drivers so that they are prepared to handle threats.

Protecting Sensitive Data With School Transportation Software

While creating safe and efficient school bus routes is the main focus of most school district transportation programs, protecting student, parent and school data should be a major priority. School transportation software offers benefits such as route optimization, but the software also stores sensitive data.

Student ID Badges Make It Easier To Keep Track Of Your Precious Cargo

Keeping track of students is a priority that is increasing in importance in school districts across North America and around the world. One of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to track students is by utilizing an ID system. Student ID badge usage is an efficient and cost-effective way to track students. Learn more about utilizing RFID systems  to keep students safe and save districts money.

How Parents View School Transportation

4 Things Every Transportation Official Needs to Know

Prior to understanding the industry of student transportation, I knew my child got on a bus with a driver and other children and was transported to school.  It was simple right? How hard could it be?  Now that I have an in-depth knowledge of the industry, I have an unbelievable amount of respect for the men and women that tackle this task every day.  From the directors, to the drivers, to the administrative assistants, I am here to say I could not do what you do! It is not an easy task, there are many factors that come into play.  Below are some tips for transportation officials from a parent’s point of view to hopefully help make your lives a little easier and understand where we are coming from.

Is Your Bus Fleet Emergency Ready? Here Are 3 Ways To Tell.

The jobs of school bus drivers and transportation administrators are vitally important. As the adults responsible for getting students to and from school, field trips, and special events safely, taking appropriate precautions to prepare for and respond to emergencies is an important part of these jobs.

How Routing Software Increases Special Needs Student Safety

Transporting special needs students to and from school is a challenge for many bus drivers, even when school bus routes are organized and a school district’s fleet management is effective.

Could Fuel Efficient Tires Be The Solution To The Gas Crisis?

School districts across North America are employing several transportation management solutions to increase fuel efficiency and cut costs, especially given the recent spike in gas prices. Investing in fuel-efficient tires for their buses is one chosen strategy. The question is, do tires designed for fuel efficiency really work? The short answer is: they do, but they don’t necessarily save districts money.

The Dangers of Illegal Bus Passing

When it comes to passing school buses, motorists in each state are subject to a different set of laws and regulations. Though most motorists understand the safety risks of illegally passing a bus, it remains a consistent, though dangerous, practice. In fact, a survey conducted in 2019 by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services indicates that there are more than 17 million violations each school year.

The School Bus Driver Shortage

Getting students safely to and from school is a priority for everyone.  However many school districts are experiencing a shortage in school bus drivers.  School bus driver shortage is an ongoing challenge that districts repeatedly face before, during and throughout each school year.  There are varying reasons for the shortage, but the effects are clear.  The shortage puts additional pressure on existing drivers and route scheduling.

Warning Signs Of School Bus Bullying

Students who are being bullied often exhibit some warning signs.  If parents, school bus drivers, teachers and other school officials are aware of these signs they can take action to stop and work on reducing or eliminating the issues.

Does Student Tracking Ensure Safer Bus Rides?

Despite some initial controversy, RFID-based student tracking systems are beginning to be utilized around the country to make student bussing safer and more effective.

In just the last couple years, programs have been implemented in cities across America. Consistently, the reports have been positive: student tracking truly does help keep students safe, as well as giving districts numerous new ways to optimize their busing.

In the meantime, the fears that this would somehow turn into a "Big Brother" scenario are being shown as unfounded. The potential for gain is great, with very little actual potential for abuse.

While the initial system installation can require a substantial up-front outlay, this investment is quickly rewarded.

Five Ways RFID Student Tracking Creates Better Bus Rides

1) No-Question Bus Ridership Tracking

With RFID scanners on your buses, there's rarely any question as to whether a student rode a bus. After all, they're being recorded every time they get on or off. This, in turn, is transmitted instantly to your servers in the office.

Besides the obvious benefits to your state reporting, this greatly reduces the chances of miscommunication between parents, students, and drivers. If a parent discovers they're unsure whether their child got on the bus, all it takes is a couple mouse-clicks to discover the truth.

2) Improper Departure Alerts

Another benefit to this tracking system is that, when it's tied to a GPS system, the computers will instantly know which students are supposed to get off at which stops. If a student tries to leave the bus at the wrong stop, the driver is immediately alerted so they can assess the situation.

Generally, bus drivers are given some discretion when one child is getting off with a known friend. On the other hand, if a student is simply confused, a potentially dangerous mishap is avoided entirely.

3) Medical Alerts

When a student's records are tied to their bus routing, it means drivers can always be alerted if a student with special medical needs is riding. Students with respiratory or cardiac conditions can be placed where the driver can keep an eye on them.

By the same token, should a legitimate medical emergency occur, the integrated tracking system will speed dispatch response. You'll know within a couple feet where the bus is from the moment it comes to a stop. So, you can already be getting ready to send out assistance.

In situations where minutes can make the difference between life and death, onboard bus tracking systems greatly improve the odds.

4) Truant Student Detection

It happens: A student arrives on the bus in the morning, but then "somehow" ends up behind the gymnasium rather than appearing in class. Or they may simply walk right back off campus before anyone sees them.

Student tracking makes these sorts of games far less likely to work. If you have scanners on your school doors, for example, the system will expect to see the student pass through within a few minutes of delivery. If it doesn't happen, you can be alerted.

Similarly, a few RFID scanners around your perimeter mean you'll know quickly if a student is trying to ditch.

5) More Power to Your Drivers

While it's been a running theme, it's worth explicitly mentioning the improvements to your drivers' experience. Onboard bus tracking systems can take a lot of burdens off their back, leading to better morale and more effective driving:

  • No more annoying hand-written checklists or sign-in sheets.

  • Complete performance tracking reduces their need to manually record bus usage data.

  • Clear and unambiguous onboard maps point them to every logged student's stop.

  • Faster calls for support when help is needed.

  • No chance of getting lost with GPS systems.

In short, these tracking systems help keep your drivers "in the loop," empowering them to make decisions more easily while reducing bureaucratic burdens.

 

Are There Downsides To Student Tracking?

There are remarkably few arguments against RFID tracking, besides the initial installation costs. Otherwise, the most common reported problems are:

  1. Parents misunderstanding the system, and overestimating its effects on privacy. This can be addressed with better communications.

  2. Students wrapping their ID badges in tinfoil to defeat the RFID tracker. However, this is easily countered with a visual check.

  3. Lost cards, which will be an unavoidable ongoing cost.

That said, the overall safety and reporting improvements should vastly outweigh the expenditures associated with replacing lost cards.

Is It Time For Bus Tracking?

On-bus student tracking systems can quickly make your bus routes safer, your drivers happier, and your state reporting easier. The combined cost savings virtually always outweigh the investment, not to mention the ease of mind they bring to both parents and administrators.

To learn more about the power of RFID student tracking, simply contact us to receive a free consultation!

Orbit Software 10 Questions To Ask When Considering A School Bus Tracking System To Minimize Parent Complaints

What do you think? Are there other aspects of student tracking that can help ensure safer bus rides? Let us know in the comments below!

 

12 Warning Signs That Your Bus Capacity Is Unsafe

Out of all the jobs a school does, there's probably none that's more central or vital than protecting the students in its care. Unfortunately, it seems like there's been a rash of incidents lately with schools running buses that are dangerously overcrowded.

School Bus Routing Software: Frequently Asked Questions

You probably have some questions when it comes to all of this talk of school bus routing software, especially when so many other schools are starting to use it. It's not uncommon to have questions about software when it is promising such lofty goals: better bus route management, real-time mapping solutions, and streamlined ways to make sure all of the students get where they need to safely. So, are all of these promises reality? What can you expect from route management software? Here are the top four frequently asked questions on the software and all of their answers.

Ways To Verify The Safety And Efficiency Of Your School's Bus Routes

How long has it been since your school district updated its bus routing and tracking policies?

Quick Tips On How To Shorten Your Bus Routes

It might seem obvious, but there really is no benefit to having your buses on the road any longer than they need to be. Transportation budgets are a huge part of any business that maintains a bus fleet, and every extra minute they're on the road ultimately costs you real money.

Keep Your Employees Organized With Bus Routing Software

 

We bill our BusBoss software as bus routing software, but the truth is, it goes far beyond simply scheduling buses. As more schools move towards entirely computer-based solutions for running their operations, there's a real need for software that performs more than one task. The more functionality a piece of software can provide a district, the more value it provides.

Transportation Management Services: Separating Facts From Fiction

In transportation management services, sometimes popular belief might be easier to accept than fact, especially since the services are directly related to the safety of children, a top agenda for the country. In appeasing the public perception, situations are often mitigated in light of such beliefs, entire budgets and strategies can be altered to protect the myths in transportation management services. While many of the myths are based on some element of truth, they might prove unreliable in certain situations when you need to make decisions, or when faced with a challenge concerning the safety of your students. Here are a few of the myths that may lead to decisions or strategies that may not necessarily add value to the district transportation management service:

The Essential Qualities Of A Transportation Supervisor

As transportation systems become more complex, handling their management and oversight similarly becomes a more complex task. In the past, you may have done well enough scheduling and routing your vehicles with strings and pushpins on maps, and using simple radio (or cell phone) contact to keep in touch with drivers on the road.

Keeping Kids Safe from Predators at the Bus Stop

Many states have laws that prevent registered sex offenders from living too close to schools and parks, but I am not aware of any that restricts their residence based on bus stop location.  Given that suburban and rural America is splattered with bus stops, it is extremely likely that there are registered sex offenders that live near school bus stops.  Registered sex offenders can move just like anyone else.  When was the last time you checked for registered sex offenders near your child’s bus stop?

Why School Bus Monitors are So Important

School buses are truly the country’s largest public transportation systems. In recent years, incidents around the country have forced the important issue of student safety to the forefront. As parents, teachers and administrators advocate for increased security for school bus riders, equipping school buses with monitors is on the rise.

Benefits of Automated Transportation Management Services

Transportation companies around the world have been slowly awakening to the power that modern computers have to optimize and streamline their businesses. Numerous processes relating to the management of your fleet and your route planning can now be automated through software, resulting in large cost decreases.

Ways to Identify a Great School Bus Driver

A great group of bus drivers means that you can have one of the best fleets to manage, making it easier for you to do your job and stay on route with schedules and plans. However, being able to create that group and find those highly professional bus drivers that can handle the stress and responsibilities of being a driver can take a little time to put together. Usually it means looking at resumes and credentials and other such things, but there are also some personality characteristics and other things that can't be found on a resume that need to be addressed, too.

How School Management Systems Operate

The ways to harness technology to make your school run more smoothly and more safely are expanding quickly.  Just a couple decades ago, it was still standard to see school districts doing most of their record-keeping by hand:  drawing bus routes with lines on a map, doing attendance on paper, and still keeping class scores in physical grade books.

How Dispatching Software Can Be Doing More For You

These days, it seems like being in the school system is a pretty thankless job all around, especially if you follow news reports on schools.  However, you know who never gets thanked?  The folks whose job it is to ensure the busses keep running on time.  Even bus drivers occasionally get a package of sweets on holidays from happy parents.  Those in the background providing transportation management services are totally forgotten.

Benefits of School Bus Passes

The school bus pass is not normally considered by most administration, especially when they have so much to worry about and take responsibility for. However, school bus passes are quite important for their highly simple way of making sure that no student is forgotten during the transportation process and is safely taken to their destination with ease.

When and How to Upgrade Your School Management System

It's hard to believe that just a few decades ago, all school record-keeping was done by hand.  Today, a good database-driven school management system is absolutely a necessity.  Between the proliferation of helicopter parenting and ever-increasing societal fears for our youth, you basically cannot lose track of a student for more than a few minutes.

How NOT to Use a Vehicle Monitoring System

Back in the old days, keeping track of each individual vehicle's gas consumption, mileage, and possibly repairs meant a lot of reports, careful tracking, and possible human errors in the system. And when it comes to bigger fleets of buses that are transporting kids everyday, having to track and monitor each bus was especially difficult. Unfortunately, things couldn't be as efficient, but now we have the ability to keep track of an entire fleet through technology and save money while doing it.

Ways To Make Your Transportation Dispatchers' Job Easier

In the hugely competitive marketplace we face today, it is critical for savvy Transportation Directors, Superintendents, and Business Managers to better manage every single business process from your transportation equipment to your drivers to your transportation dispatcher.  For example, in fields like bussing, there are several ways you can streamline the work of your dispatchers to ensure they are operating at optimal potential.

How Transportation Costs Can Impact School Budgets

School transportation costs eat a huge chunk of any schools budget. The cost of transporting kids to school needs to be reduced.

The Difficulties of Split Custody School Bus Routing

 

GPS Vehicle Tracking: Strengthening Trust While Reducing Costs

When concerned parents are waiting for the school bus, every passing second is a potential moment for panic.

Field Trip Planning Made Easier: Why Tracking Software is Essential

Most experts agree that taking students on field trips is a positive educational experience. A recent study cited by the National Education Foundation found that, regardless of a student’s socioeconomic status, gender, or ethnicity, students who take field trips benefit from higher grades, a higher graduation rate, and a greater chance of future success.

Unfortunately, many school districts are forced to cut back on field trips due to budgetary concerns. The good news is that today’s transportation management software makes field trips easier to prepare for while allowing you to make the most out of your district’s field trip budget.

How To Make Bus Routing Software Work For You

The greatest thing about bus management and routing these days is the ability to complete everything through technology and software. You don't have to worry about the mountains of paperwork that goes into tracking students, distances to different bus routes, making sure buses are on time, and a bunch of other responsibilities.

How to Use GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems for Efficient Fleet Management

The benefits of GPS vehicle tracking systems such as Zonar and Synovia go beyond simply ensuring the safety of your precious passengers. These are powerful tools which can revolutionize your fleet management, helping you optimize your system in ways that simply aren't possible with hand-collected data.

Strategies for Saving School Bus Energy

 

Cutting Costs With Bus Routing Software

It’s no secret that school districts across the country are having a difficult time balancing their budgets. Whenever a school district faces financial challenges, the transportation department is a likely target for cuts. Eliminating bus stops and changing routes often concerns parents and administrators. Fortunately, bus-routing software can help you to optimize your routes without compromising student safety.

GPS Vehicle Tracking System Enhances Safety and Cuts Costs

Pupil Transportation: Costs Versus Savings of Going Green With Propane

It’s no secret that school districts across North America are looking into alternative fuels for their pupil transportation, not only to minimize negative impact on the environment, but also to save money. While a majority of school buses are still powered by diesel, more and more districts are shifting to propane.

Fine Tune Your Transportation Services Using Vehicle Routing Software

In today's economy, every penny counts. With dwindling budgets, public schools are forced to cut corners wherever possible. This may include changing school schedules, to accommodate two tiers per bus, or finding ways to make a route more cost effective.

One way for the latter is vehicle routing software. With this little gem, many facets of the bus routes may be examined. It can include documenting driving behaviors or recording driving times. For instance:

School Districts Take Steps to Reduce Their Transportation Costs

With rising gas prices and decreasing school budgets, minimizing school  bus transportation costs has never been more beneficial to a school than now. Because of the great variability in how much you might get from one year to the next for transportation costs, you may end up taking money  from other school functions to help make up  the slack. Since this is inevitably barring new legislation, it is a good idea to try your best to optimize the school transportation costs, by employing a handful of practices:

Is Your Current Bus Route Planning Inefficient?

Each day, more than half of America’s K-12 students take the bus to school. In fact, the school bus industry is the largest form of mass transit in the U.S. School buses keep cars off the road and the environment cleaner. Making sure that school buses run efficiently strengthens their positive environmental impact while saving districts money.

Having An Electric School Bus Fleet Is Easier Than Many People Think

If your district is thinking about adding electric vehicles (EVs) to your school bus fleet, don't let outdated fears hold you back! Electric buses have come a long way in the last decade, from being impractical to being entirely capable of serving a school district's needs.

Congressional Representative Pushes for School Bus Only CDL

It's no secret that the school bus driver shortage is only getting worse.  Year after year, school districts are having more difficulty finding drivers, and it's becoming an increasing burden on district transportation managers. The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has only made the situation worse, with many drivers deciding to retire, or move into other fields - especially if they feel like they aren't getting proper support from their district.

Reimagining the School Bus Ridership Experience

According to multiple studies, less than half of students who are eligible to ride the school bus are actually doing so. Low school bus ridership can actually be a problem for districts that are looking to maintain their state funding or keep a full fleet of school buses active.

Massachusetts Uses National Guard as School Bus Drivers

It seems like states are finally starting to get serious about helping school districts overcome the ongoing school bus driver shortage. Coming right after New York's announcement of programs aimed at recruiting more drivers, Massachusetts has taken things a step further. They're activating National Guard troops to become bus drivers for in-need districts.

School Bus Driver Training: De-Escalating Parent Disputes

Tensions in America are high right now, and it's spilling over into our schools. These days, it seems like the news is full of stories about conflicts between parents and school staff, including bus drivers. There had always been occasional reports of conflicts or fights between drivers and parents, but now we're seeing such reports all the time.

New York Launches School Bus Driver Outreach

In previous articles, we mentioned that it seemed like state intervention may be called for when dealing with the school bus driver shortage - and apparently, New York agrees. New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced a series of state-level actions intended to help alleviate the driver shortage across all of its districts.

What is New York doing? And what more could it or other states potentially do? Let's take a look.

School Bus Driver Strikes And Protests Becoming More Common

The ongoing shortage of school bus drivers may be hitting a breaking point. Schools were already struggling to keep enough drivers on-staff to fulfill their transportation obligations despite the disruption of COVID-19. Now, there's a new threat: school bus driver protests and strikes.

South Carolina School Bus Driver Shortages Lead to Long Wait

We all know that the school bus driver shortage is a problem and that it's not getting better. In some areas, it seems, things are getting much worse. Reports have come out about how driver shortages in South Carolina are causing excessive delays and a lot of stress among local residents.

Railroad Safety Tips for School Bus Drivers

Few bus accidents could be more devastating than being hit by a train - and it does happen. While train-related accidents are rare, there have been several in the past decade. This could easily be fatal to everyone on the bus if it happens, which is why it's important that school bus drivers regularly receive railroad safety refreshers.

What are the most important aspects of railroad safety to consider? Let's take a look.

Can Electric School Buses Benefit Low Income Communities?

In the ongoing push to move towards ecologically friendly bus fleets, electric school buses are rapidly gaining traction. Modern electric buses have overcome nearly all the problems that faced them a decade ago - they're now as powerful and robust as diesel buses and can have batteries with enough capacity to serve all but the largest of rural districts.

Tennessee School Districts Forbidden From Requiring School Bus Masking

It's distressing how basic public health measures fighting COVID-19 have become heavily politicized, but the trend continues.  Following in the footsteps of states like Texas and Florida, Tennessee's governor Bill Lee recently signed an executive order (PDF) forbidding school districts from requiring masks without allowing parental opt-out. This order covers all school-related activities, even school bus masking.

Electric School Buses: Maintaining Your Fleet

As school districts look to upgrade their aging diesel bus fleets to more modern, ecologically friendly options, electric school buses are becoming an increasingly popular option. Old problems with limited power and battery life are quickly being overcome. Modern electric buses are now an entirely viable option for most districts.

One of the benefits of electric buses is that their maintenance requirements are generally lower than those of diesel buses, but it's still good to know what your district is getting into. Here's a quick overview of the differences in maintenance procedures.

Benefits of Wi-Fi and 5G for School Buses

One eternal problem with school bus rides, particularly in larger districts, is how much time they can take out of a student's day. When many students are riding for an hour or more every day, that can seriously cut into their time for studying or other academic activities.

This is why on-bus Internet access has become a major topic of school bus technology. With a combination of 5G cell service and an onboard WiFi router, a bus can provide its students with plenty of bandwidth, and encourage them to spend more time studying or doing homework while on the bus.

Can Changing Bell Times Help the School Bus Driver Shortage?

The sad reality is that the bus driver shortage isn't going away - it's only getting worse. The COVID-19 outbreak spurred a lot of people to leave bus driving for other careers or retire if that was an option. One recent study showed that 80% of districts are struggling to fulfill all their bus routes.

So it's no wonder that districts are increasingly looking for creative solutions to the driver shortage. One option that's gaining traction is changing school bell times to allow for fewer buses to run more often. 

School Bus Wi-Fi: Round 2 of FCC Funding

There's good news for districts that are looking for ways to fund a school bus Wi-Fi upgrade program. Due to overwhelming popularity, the FCC has announced a second round of funding grants to help pay for onboard Internet services!

Earlier this year, the FCC made several billion available in grants for Wi-Fi upgrades, as well as other Internet-related hardware, as part of the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF). Demand was huge, and many schools weren't able to get the money they needed. Others missed the filing deadline or had other bureaucratic issues, brought about by the ongoing disruption of COVID-19 and its variants.

Back to School 2021 - Preparing for Uncertainty

Few semesters have ever been under such a cloud of uncertainty as back to school 2021 will be. In many places, this is the first time that regular school will happen in over a year, and a lot of people are still worried about it happening smoothly.

A lot of that uncertainty is going to revolve around your school bus transportation. With the risk of COVID-19 infections still a concern, especially the new Delta variant, everyone in your district - including parents, students, and staff - needs to know that your transportation system will be ready to do its job while keeping students safe.

Hiccups in Supply Chains Affect Student Bus Transportation

School Transportation News recently posted an in-depth article talking about new challenges facing the student bus transportation industry. The various economic upheavals of 2020, spearheaded by the COVID-19 outbreak, have disrupted supply chains around the world. This is affecting manufacturers in every industry, including those involved in the creation and maintenance of school buses.

California Hits the Road With 2 Propane School Buses

Despite all the economic hurdles of the last year, districts are still finding ways to upgrade their school busses to better, cleaner options. School Bus Fleet recently reported on a California district, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District in Napa County, which received a state grant allowing them to purchase two propane-powered buses.

At this point, it's almost inarguable that diesel-powered buses need to go away. The questions are, how to make it happen, and which alt-fuel to switch to? Currently, the major contenders for eco-friendly school buses are either propane or electric.

COVID Student Safety Starts With School Buses

Is your district still doing everything possible to keep your school buses safe from COVID-19? Even though vaccination rates are rising, and infections are dropping, it's still a threat. Worse, new mutations like the Delta variant are creating new threats, and forms that transmit more easily than the original COVID-19.

Electric School Buses Linked to Environmental Justice

We recently came across a fascinating article on School Bus Fleet, interviewing Johana Vicente. Vicente is the national director of a socio-environmental activist group called Chispa, dedicated to looking at the impact of fossil fuels on people of color. They speak out against both the exploitative ways fossil fuels are obtained and processed, as well as how low-income minority communities are often disproportionately affected by pollution.

New York City Schools Move Away From Remote Learning

For the past year or more, during the COVID-19 outbreak, most schools have been relying on remote learning to supplement or replace in-class learning. However, as vaccination rates rise around the country, and overall infection and death rates fall, schools are beginning to look forward to resuming normal in-person classes.

Most recently, New York City (NYC) announced that it will end all remote learning for Fall 2021, and resume normal schooling. Since NYC was hit hard by COVID-19, this is a big sign that things truly are returning to normal.

Boosting School Bus Safety With Defensive Driver Training

Well-trained bus drivers are the foundation of school bus safety. It doesn't matter what kinds of buses you drive or the routes you create if you don't have drivers who are always putting passenger safety first in their thinking. That's why it's vital to occasionally put your drivers through refresher courses, such as defensive driving training.

These may feel like basic suggestions, but even good drivers can get lazy after too many years on the road. An occasional bit of re-training helps remind them of how to maintain school bus safety.

Locating Funding for Electric School Buses

Every year, more pressure is put on school districts to move away from older gasoline/diesel school buses, and to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) instead. EVs have become entirely viable for bus fleets while bringing numerous advantages. EVs require less maintenance, are cheaper to run, and produce effectively no pollution.

Virginia Bus Driver Wins Big Money

School Transportation News recently reported on a nice bit of local news: a 23-year veteran Virginia school bus driver who won $10,000 for her excellent service. Beyond simply being a great driver, she was constantly looking for ways to help her students and her community.

School Bus Contractors: CERTS Coronavirus Relief Grants Detailed

Near the end of 2020, Congress and President Trump passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which contained provisions for $2 billion in economic relief for transportation companies negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.  These provisions are known as the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) grants. This was excellent news for school bus contractors, who have been suffering under the ongoing restrictions and lockdowns, along with schools being slow to reopen.

School Bus Safety: Optimizing Driver Views

When a bus stops and children are loading or unloading, you'd want to think the driver is in full control of the situation - but they aren't. Buses, by their nature, have massive blind spots which impact the driver's visibility. This is a school bus safety issue when the bus is stopped or moving, but it's a particular hazard when children are nearby or in those blind spots.

Disinfecting School Buses: Are There Long Term Effects?

When the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak hit, properly disinfecting school buses became a top priority for school districts. At a minimum, districts stepped up the use of disinfecting chemicals and products like hand sanitizer. Many even upgraded their buses, installing systems such as intense UV light systems or disinfectant sprayers which would facilitate easier cleaning.

Considering the Future of the Yellow School Bus

What's going to happen to the traditional yellow school bus in the years ahead?

Given how much the COVID-19 outbreak has shaken up industries and economies around the world, a lot of people are wondering what it means for the future of school bus transportation. Assuming that schools will eventually fully reopen and resume 'business as usual,' will there be any long term impacts on the transportation systems?

Addressing Driver Shortage: Reducing School Bus Routes

It's harder than ever for school districts to find enough drivers for their school bus routes. The driver shortage was a problem even before the COVID-19 outbreak, and now it's only gotten worse. An estimated 80% of schools are having trouble finding enough drivers, and that's a big problem when schools are legally mandated to provide transportation to their students.

School Bus Safety: Air Quality

It's been well-known for generations that pollution within cities is a problem, but it's only in recent years that we've started to realize just how bad the problem is. Pollution doesn't just poison the air and environment, but it can directly harm people as well. This has been dramatically illustrated by many recent studies which show a strong link between pollution and declining academic performance among schoolchildren.

Increase Your School Bus Drivers' Morale With Public Recognition!

There was a recent feature on STN about Tim Cribley, a Michigan school bus driver who was declared a “Bus Guardian Hero.” Cribley got a well-deserved moment in the sun. It was a chance for the school to highlight the great work he’d done for the district. 

So, why doesn’t this happen more often?

School Bus Transportation in 2021

These are chaotic times for school districts and school bus transportation managers. Between the ongoing driver shortage and all the disruption caused by COVID-19, it's easy to feel like things are getting a bit out of control.

Well, take heart, because you're not alone. Recently, HopSkipDrive conducted an extensive survey (PDF) of school districts across the country. The questions were centered on the problems they're facing, and what they consider to be the most pressing issues at the moment.

Operational Optimization: Planning Ahead

When school districts want to - or need to - reduce the costs of their transportation system, one of the best options is to optimize their bus routes. It's rare for a district to have perfect route optimization, and just about any updates they can make will result in cost savings down the road. In best cases, they may even be able to entirely eliminate one or more routes, drastically reducing costs as well as reducing the harm done by the ongoing school bus driver shortage.

Indiana Works to Improve School Bus Stop Safety

We recently came across a short article from School Transportation News discussing Indiana's plans to expand usage, penalties, and enforcement of stop-arm cameras on their school buses.

There's no doubt that illegal passing is one of the biggest threats to school bus safety, as well as the safety of its passengers. Children are most at risk when entering or leaving the bus, so it makes sense that this would be a focus. But are stop-arm cameras the best solution

Montana House Bills for School Bus Safety

How do we protect students from cars passing illegally, while they're entering or exiting the bus? This is probably one of the biggest questions in the field of school bus safety, and one that continues to be studied intently. For many states, the popular answer is to install stop-arm cameras, but there are other alternatives - and Montana is set to explore those alternatives.

Their plan could potentially be more effective than stop-arm cameras while costing less. 

School Bus Transportation: COVID-19 Relief Funding

If your school district is in need of school bus transportation upgrades to help you deal with COVID-19 or to otherwise upgrade your school, there's good news. Congress has passed several bills recently aimed at providing COVID-19 funding to schools, and there is currently a lot of money to be claimed.

In this article, we'll briefly go over what was passed, how much funding is available, and what it can be used for.

Pros and Cons of Full Day Kindergarten

For decades, the traditional wisdom said that young children should be 'eased into' full-time schooling. This meant having preschool and kindergarten programs that were only part-time. However, recently, there's been a growing call for a shift to full-day kindergarten - and it's bringing a lot of heated debate from both sides.

There's no simple answer to the question, but here is a quick rundown of the arguments on both sides.

Benefits of Educational Equity

Is simple equality enough to provide a good education, or should educational institutions be aiming for equity instead?

The concept of educational equity has been in circulation for decades and has been steadily gaining traction in schools and the larger teaching community. Simply put, the idea of educational equity means taking active measures to give every student in the classroom the best chance of success, overcoming barriers - such as racial discrimination or socioeconomic status - that might hold them back.

Benefits of Investing in a Student Technology Program

Students need to learn with technology! Schools have been discovering this since the first big push to put computers into classrooms, in the 1980s, and student technology programs continue to expand and grow to this day. Unfortunately, even if educators understand their importance, technology can often be a hard sell at a budgetary level. If you're trying to talk parents into approving a technology funding bill or property tax, for example, you'll need convincing arguments!

Creating A Fiscally Responsible School District Is Everyone's Business

Fiscally Responsible

Few school districts have ever struggled with having "too much" money, and budgets are tight most of the time. However, things are particularly bad now. With the coronavirus outbreak continuing to create challenges, schools are having to spend a lot of money on health and safety features - money that probably has to be taken away from other initiatives. This makes it absolutely critical that a district be fiscally responsible, and that is something that every district employee should participate in.

How can schools be more fiscally responsible? Here are some ideas.

Five Ways to Prepare Students for the Future

Prepare Students for the Future

It's fairly well-known that the 'modern' school system as we know it in America came into being in the first half of the 20th Century - and there have been surprisingly few updates to its structure and content since. Specific subjects are periodically updated according to new findings, but on the whole, the focus of current education is still largely based on last-century issues. Can we really prepare students for the future when the school system lacks a curriculum focused on 21st century topics?

Benefits of Charter School Reform

Charter School Reform

Are charter schools a good way to create better outcomes for children in school? For a long time, many have said so. Privately owned charter schools, funded from the same coffers as public schools, were supposed to offer competition and alternatives for parents looking for the best learning environment for their children.

However, now, roughly 30 years after the beginning of the movement, charter schools are starting to lose their luster. Many are calling for charter school reform, or even their de-funding. It's a complicated issue, but let's take a look at some of the basic matters under debate.

Kentucky to Permit School Bus Stop Arm Camera

More than 20 states in the United States allow school districts to install stop-arm cameras on their buses - and Kentucky may be the next to join them. House Bill 189 recently passed the state House, and it seems likely to go on to become law in the near future.

Stop-arm cameras are a popular measure for increasing school bus safety, by penalizing drivers who illegally pass school buses while they are stopped. Children are endangered every time a driver ignores the stop sign, so cutting down on illegal passing is a priority for districts.  

Maryland Bill Considers School Bus Capacity

One major school bus safety issue that perhaps doesn't receive enough attention is the problem of overcrowding. When districts are low on buses or drivers, they may end up running their buses with more students onboard than is safe for the vehicle. This is definitely a problem, but it's a problem with complicated causes.

In response, the Maryland House of Reps recently passed a bill explicitly making it illegal to run overcrowded buses. While its creator touts the bill as "common sense," it doesn't seem to actually do much to combat the core problem.

Texas School Buses May Continue Requiring Masks

Texas recently made headlines for stepping down its COVID-19 mask requirements. Businesses around the lone star state are no longer mandated to enforce mask-wearing on their premises - but they are still allowed to voluntarily require masks, if they choose.

Electric School Buses: Myths Versus Facts

Electric school buses may be one of the most misunderstood types of alt-fuel buses.  In many ways, they're the safest and cleanest of all the ways you could power a bus, but there is a lot of misinformation out there. Some of the myths used to be true, and some are outright fabrications, but they all may hold districts back from investing in a viable alt-energy system.

Federal Legislation Seeks $1B in Funding for School Buses

If your school district is interested in upgrading to electric school buses, you may get some help in the next few years. The "Clean School Bus Act" has been re-introduced in the House Of Representatives, and would provide over $1 billion dollars in funding to help districts pay for clean-energy bus upgrades.

The bill was first introduced in 2019 by several Democrats in Congress, but due to political tensions at the time, it died in a Senate committee without much action. Now, it has been reintroduced and stands a much better chance of passing. Passage isn't a sure thing - and the government has a lot on its plate at the moment - but if it does pass it could be good news for districts hoping to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Helping Special Needs Students Adapt to COVID-19 Safety Requirements

Transporting special needs students always has some additional challenges, and that's especially true during the coronavirus pandemic. School bus drivers and transportation directors need to be making concerted efforts to help special needs children maintain safety protocols.

Every student's situation will be a little different, but we have some suggestions that may help in ensuring that proper safety procedures are followed by all students.

Making Social Distancing Work on a School Bus

If your school is maintaining in-person classes during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, your district should be doing everything possible to reduce the chances of disease transmission. This is a major challenge - especially on school buses! As a small enclosed space, school buses are perfect for spreading a disease that thrives through person-to-person contact.

The only good solution is to maintain social distancing rules, even on the bus. This won't be easy, but it's better than having a major outbreak at your school. Fortunately, we have a few tips to make this task a bit easier.

Reducing the Costs of School Bus Transportation

There's no doubt that maintaining and running a school bus fleet is one of the most expensive aspects of school budgeting. It's often the 2nd or 3rd largest line item in many school budgets. Buses are costly to run and maintain but are absolutely required in every district.

This makes it vital that districts do everything they can to keep bus transportation costs low - especially now that the coronavirus is creating new budget strains. Here are a few tips on lowering your fleet costs.

Encouraging Loyalty in School Bus Drivers

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, schools around the nation were struggling to find enough school bus drivers to keep all their routes running. The coronavirus only made things worse. It's become harder than ever for schools to find and keep drivers, particularly when many drivers in high-risk groups are unwilling to endanger themselves.

To keep your school district running, you need to be doing everything possible to maintain loyalty among your drivers. Once someone is on the payroll, you need to hang onto them. Here are some suggestions.

K-12 Relief Funds: School Bus Ventilation Systems

Shortly before leaving office, President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 into law. Part of this law includes over $54 billion in funding grants to help both public and charter schools respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Safely Disinfecting School Buses

For as long as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak lasts, it's going to be absolutely vital to keep your school buses clean and sanitized. Buses will always be a high-risk area for transmission, so they call for high levels of diligence. Parents need to feel safe when putting their children on your buses!

Here are some important tips to help ensure your buses are as sanitary as possible for every trip

Bus Tracking Apps: Anticipating Parental Needs

If your district already utilizes tracking devices to plot your bus's location in real-time, it might be time to open up that service to more people in your community! Schools around the nation are beginning to offer smartphone apps to parents, allowing them to see the location of their child's bus while it's on route.

The value of this is obvious. Many parents are balancing tight schedules and can plan their days more efficiently if they know the bus is running on time. This can be great for parents - if you pick an app with the right features!

School Bus Industry: Front-line Heroes

 We recently saw a wonderful article from School Transportation News (STN) highlighting some of the most extraordinary things done by school bus drivers in the past year.  The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak challenged service workers around the world to step up, but few outside of the healthcare industry have done more than bus drivers.

Propane Autogas Eases Back-to-School Challenges

Of all the back-to-school challenges facing school districts in 2020, the problem of successfully busing students may be one of the most pressing. By law, every district must provide transportation for any student that needs it - but schools only have so many buses, and safe social distancing during an outbreak means those buses should only be 1/6 to 1/4 full. Otherwise, the students are so close that they could transmit the coronavirus simply by breathing at each other.

School Buses Deliver Meals to Virtual Learners

If your school is closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak or only operating at a reduced capacity, it may feel like you're letting your community down. Parents rely on functioning schools for everything from childcare to meal preparation, and in these challenging times, it can be difficult to know how to best help out. 

While there are no easy answers here, many schools have found a way to reduce the burden on parents who can't send their kids to school - using school buses to deliver lunches to low-income families.

National School Bus Safety Week Includes Poster Contest, Public Outreach

During times of crisis, it's more important than ever to reach out to the public and assure them that their schools - and their school transportation systems - are safe. Fortunately, despite the chaos, the American School Bus Council (ASBC) was able to carry off its annual National School Bus Safety Week outreach program without a hitch.

Training School Bus Drivers for Worst-Case Scenarios

No one enjoys contemplating the worst things that can go wrong, but when students' lives are on the line, it's important to consider as many scenarios as possible. That's why it's so important to supplement your regular school bus driver training with special lessons focusing on disasters, medical emergencies, criminal activity, and other low-probability/high-risk events that might potentially happen on the road.

There's no definitive list of everything which could go wrong, of course, but we have some suggestions for elements to add to your school bus driver training program.

Leveraging School Bus Technologies To Support Parents During The Coronavirus Outbreak

It's hard to even list all the ways that the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is affecting communities across America. Many of these problems center on schools and school districts. On one hand, the rational response to a disease outbreak is to limit in-person school sessions, reducing disease exposure. On the other hand, many parents rely on schooling for the services it provides, including reduced-price lunches, and providing care for students while the parents are at work.

How Student Transportation Is Changing From COVID-19 According To The Experts

2020 was a year of crisis for many industries, and that certainly includes the student transportation industry. Schools across the nation were completely unprepared for the pandemic, leading to them having to make many blind leaps into policy changes or new technologies while looking for ways to keep students safe.

How is this affecting the industry, and what changes are likely to continue into the future? This interesting series of interviews with student transportation industry leaders from School Bus Fleet has a lot of ideas. Here are some of the key takeaways we got from it.

School Districts Try out Lighted Signs on School Buses

School bus safety is one of the foremost concerns for any school transportation program - and there is no shortage of companies trying to sell you upgrades in the name of safety. Sorting through them in terms of cost vs benefit can be difficult, particularly with so many high-tech solutions entering the market.

But, what if one of the best school bus safety measures is also among the cheapest and easiest to implement? Many districts are coming to believe that simply adding more lights to their buses can keep students safe - and there's plenty of reason to believe that's the case.

Four Big Challenges School Bus Drivers Face

Being a bus driver is never easy, but the job has become particularly difficult with the COVID-19 coronavirus still threatening the country. On top of their other responsibilities, bus drivers are now expected to do much of the heavy lifting in protecting students' health while onboard their buses.

Is your district doing everything they can to support your drivers? Better policies and updated school bus driver training can make their lives easier while increasing safety for the students. 

Student Transporters Discuss Meeting Challenges

Contrary to the hopes of many, there's no sign that the COVID-19 coronavirus is going away any time soon. In fact, new infections across America are at an all-time high. This means that it's vital for school districts and student transportation directors to do everything they can to protect students and staff from infection while riding on school buses.

Fortunately, with some districts now having been back in operation for two months or more, we're seeing some common strategies involved. Based on a recent series of STN interviews, we've noticed some responses and suggestions that appear repeatedly. These are some of the most common and apparently effective steps that any district could take.

School Bus Alternatives for Special Needs Students

While the specifics vary from state to state, school districts are universally required to provide transportation to and from school for every student. Most students are simply transported on standard school buses, but there are exceptions - particularly where special needs students are concerned.

Keeping Your School Buses Clean And Hygienic During The Coronavirus Outbreak

How has your district updated school bus cleaning policies to adapt to the coronavirus outbreak?

Providing transportation to students is a must, even during a pandemic, but school buses create a significant new potential source of infection. Any student - or other riders - could theoretically be infected and contagious at any time, even if they do not yet show symptoms of COVID-19. If they are infectious, then their presence on the bus will leave plenty of contaminants behind - on the seats, the windows, the doors, the floors, even in the air within the bus.


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