Mobile app delivers real-time school bus tracking as well as email and push notification alerts as the bus approaches a student’s home or bus stop
Special to Iredell Free News
After Thanksgiving this year, thousands of families across Iredell County will send their children back to school with access to a powerful mobile app that makes catching the school bus a snap.
Iredell-Statesville Schools is joining hundreds of school districts across North Carolina and the country that have made the Here Comes The Bus app available to families. The award-winning mobile app makes it easier for parents and families to catch the bus safely and conveniently.
Here Comes The Bus delivers real-time school bus tracking as well as email and push notification alerts when the school bus approaches a student’s home or bus stop. Launched in 2015, the app is approaching nearly 1.5 million downloads and has acquired 4.6 stars on the Apple App store with more than 52,000 reviews.
“The school day begins for thousands of Iredell County students when they step on the school bus. We are happy to implement the Here Comes the Bus app, which will make the trip to school as seamless and safe as possible,” Superintendent Jeff James said. “It is important for us to link parents, educators, and drivers. This technology will ease the anxiety of the bus stop for many parents by providing visibility of the bus route, and accurate arrival time.”
The cost of the app is about $2 per student per school year, according to I-SS officials. The district is using transportation funds from the State of North Carolina to pay for the app, which includes devices for all district buses.
Currently, the school district is piloting the app with a few schools across the district. Before students go home for the Thanksgiving holiday, the school district will share information with all families about downloading the app and accessing student information so that families can safely link to their child’s route.
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For more information, visit https://herecomesthebus.com/
A friend of mine thought of this almost 20 years ago. He had it implemented using little beeper-like devices for some schools in different districts in the Eastern states. I’m surprised it took this long for the idea to catch on with cell phones.