The Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Houston is introducing GPS and student tracking throughout its fleet of buses just in the time for the new school year, the district announced last week.
The GPS data captured by Zonar Systems with its V3 telematics control unit and managed online with the Ground Traffic Control solution monitors bus idle time, routing information, miles per gallon and miles per hour of each bus to help maximize the efficiency of the bus fleet and help maximize students’ learning time.
“GPS-enabled buses will make it possible for us to pinpoint bus locations in real-time, all the time,” said Matt Morgan, assistant superintendent of support services. “Campus leaders can use this to efficiently manage pick-up and drop-off procedures at each school.”
All 114,693 students in the district are also receiving RFID cards for easy identification by campus and security, and for their school lunch and library services. But for transportation, the cards are streamlining the boarding and departure process and bringing peace of mind to parents and administrators, alike.
Cypress-Fairbanks, the third largest district in Texas, is also working with Zonar to also implement the company’s Z Pass RFID card scanner on buses to track the district’s 78,000 student passengers as they get on and off the school bus. As they enter or leave the bus, students “tap” their RFID cards as they pass a scanner, which records the time and location. Parents can log into Z Pass+, Zonar’s free web-based and mobile app service that provides real-time information on student and bus location.
“This allows parents to receive text notifications whenever their child taps the reader getting on or off of the bus,” said Matt Morgan, assistant superintendent of support services at Cy-Fair. “Text notifications will include the time and location of pick-up or drop-off.”
The district added that the GPS and student tracking upgrades come on the heels of 111 new low-emissions diesel school buses that were purchased over the summer, as well as an upgraded camera system.
Look for more in the September issue of School Transportation News magazine on how districts and bus companies are utilizing GPS in their fleets and ensuring safety for drivers and students at the same time as adding operational efficiencies and cost savings.
