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Roots in the Future
One of the largest high schools in the Midwest is not afraid to test new technology, and its partners keep them on the leading edge.
Te year 1965 brought fantastic advances in space flight. Ranger
8 helped map possible Moon landing sites. Gemini 3 took a duo of astronauts into space for the first time, and the Soviet Union sent the Venera 3 probe to Venus. Tese events had people all around the world glued to televisions and radios while envision- ing a future in which space travel would become as common as a cross-country flight. Tis same year marked another milestone: Te public school
board in Lincolnshire, Ill., created a new district, and within it, a new high school that it named in posthumous honor of one of the most popular politicians of the age. Today, Adlai E. Stevenson High School (AESHS) is recognized as one of the most technologically superior schools in the state, a fitting tribute to the year of its birth. With a population of more than 4,200 students covering 10 area
communities, AESHS relies heavily on technology to help manage the day-to-day requirements of operations and administration. Te school adopted a common university practice of distributing key cards which serve as both identifiers for students around the school and reloadable cash cards that allow students to purchase meals and snacks during lunch. Realizing the benefits of implementing such technology, AESHS
wanted similar solutions in helping manage the safe movement of students between home and school, to athletic events and on field trips. Te school turned to its transportation partner of more than 25 years – First Student—for the answers. “Back in the ‘90s, we worked with First Student to add GPS
(Global Positioning Systems) and cameras to our buses to help us track their location and monitor student activity in transit,” said Mark Michelini, assistant superintendent for business at AESHS. “Now we are adding the ZPass System, and it’s a very ex- citing time for us.”
866-960-6274
www.firststudentinc.com
First Student Inc. | © 2012 FirstGroup, Inc. - All rights reserved See Us At Booth # 1025 ZPass is a student tracking solution that uses Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) technology to reliably track students as they get on and off the bus. Te system provides both the school and concerned parents with specific times and locations of boarding and disembarking, allowing the schools to more efficiently moni- tor student movement, and giving parents peace of mind. First Student reached out to their partner, Zonar, the produc-
er of the ZPass system to help put together a program to fit the needs of AESHS. Jim Kingston, location manager for First Student, worked with Zonar to add ZPass as a pilot program for the school. “Currently, we handle 56 regular education routes as well as cur-
ricular and athletic trips for Stevenson High School,” said Kings- ton. “ZPass gives administrators live data so they can see when and where students get on and when and where they get off, in the morning and the afternoon. Tey have been very happy with it.” Te ability to deliver ZPass and other new technology into its
highly scalable, turnkey transportation service offering has en- abled First Student to maintain longstanding relationships with AESHS and other schools. In addition, its practice of hiring lo- cal drivers, many of whom are parents of children who ride the buses, as well as its predictable cost model, have created a deep- rooted relationship between the company, the high school and the community. AESHS plans to expand its employment of technology solutions
to streamline its operations, and according to Dean of Students Steve Tucker, First Student will be along for the ride. “You can’t stop technology,” said Tucker. “It is improving at a fantastic rate, and here at Stevenson we want to take the initiative and jump on board and take advantage of new innovations. First Student is keenly aware of what our expectations are and they continue to help us meet our goals.” n
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