HEADLINES Debi Schlutz, assistant director of transportation
operations, said 13,934 field trips were processed last year and that through May 1, another 11,843 trips had been processed with a month left in the school year. She noted that a large number of field and activity trips occur during the summer and that she did not forecast any further budget cuts hitting the field trip program. Tis is mainly due to cuts the district already absorbed over the past several years, but also how much easier and more accountable field trips are today. “We went from paper requests to this, and it’s amaz-
When districts like Houston’s Cypress-Fairbanks ISD already transport 108,000 students a day, field trips can add to the complexity. But Cy-Fair is realizing more transparency, accountability and efficiency through online trip planning software. Te district uses Easy Bus’ Easy Trip program to connect teachers, princi-
pals, central administration staff and transportation routers in a way never before possible. Te software was implemented during the 2005-2006 school year, just as the district was beginning to make wide-range budget cuts that have totaled nearly $125 million. A year later, all out-of-district field trips were eliminated, but with the efficiencies since realized, Cy-Fair has stood the same if not expanded the number of trips it offers.
ing because we can track where the approval process is,” she added. “Trips go through several different hands before we ever see them because they are justifying taking those kids out of the classroom.” Online tracking software means districts no longer
have to estimate trip mileage and hours or physically hunt down requests and approvals. It takes school buses off the island, so to speak, and connects all par- ties necessary for the planning process. Te software is customizable, user-friendly and available from a host of providers. Joining Easy Bus’ Easy Trip are Transfinder’s Trip Finder, Edulog’s E-Trip, Trapeze’s TripPlanner and the Versatrans TripTracker by Tyler Technologies, just to name a few. Essentially, field trip software offers all the
30 School Transportation News Magazine June 2012
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