in to the apps using Facebook or Google for added convenience, shared spokeswoman Gia Davis. UbicaBus, a recent addition to the field, holds the distinction of being the “first cloud-based suite of services,” shared spokesman Cainon Coates. “We’ve only built the product in the last 3 to 5 years, so it’s obviously very new and modern architecture so it gives us a lot more flexibility in what we can do,” he added. An in-house team provides the agility to “do everything as a one-stop-shop.” Bus tracking apps do not only provide one-way conversation,
either. Parents using the Tyler Technologies Traversa app can send messages to the transportation department notifying them of changes in their child’s ridership. “Te communication feature of the app has proven to be a very useful tool for both the parents and the transportation staff,” said David Dillon, senior director of transpor- tation opertions for Lovejoy ISD in Texas. Despite many options available, app companies realize the im-
portance of competitive cooperation. In October, Zonar integrated SafeStop into its offered services. “But rather than replace the Z Pass+ app, it works in conjunction,” explained H. Kevin Mest, Zonar’s senior vice president and GM of passenger services. “SafeStop is the bus tracking app while Z Pass+ provides alerts to parents/caregivers to when and where a student gets on and off a bus.” A month later, STI’s Managed Services Group that oversees
SafeStop invested millions into rideshare company HopSkipDrive, which offers parents school transportation in private vehicles,
much like Uber or Lyft. Chief Growth Officer Tomas Kominsky shared that STI has recognized the importance of the “very com- pelling solution” that the rideshare service provides parents, and projected a successful cooperation.“We are in all the places that HopSkipDrive wants to go,” he said. “We have a lot to learn from HopSkipDrive, and they will benefit from STI’s experience in the student transportation marketplace.” But even as the technology proliferates and the features and services
increase, challenges remain. Tis is the first year that Worthington Schools in Ohio is using the Versatrans app, and Transportation Su- pervisor George Sontag expressed concern over the need for his drivers to manually look up and check in students without cards. “We train our drivers to watch students outside the school bus and to monitor traffic to keep kids safe. All of this technology frightens me because we are asking drivers to run a computer at a bus stop rather than taking care of the students outside the school bus,” he said. Security of the apps continues to be a major concern of parents.
Judi Rarrick, First Student product manager, said that during app testing parents stressed their concerns for student safety, “and mak- ing sure that people who didn’t have children in the school district weren’t trying to download this app and follow children.” “One thing we pride ourselves on is security—everything is
encrypted,” added Jennifer Esparza, marketing coordinator at Synovia Solutions, which gained 17,000 parent/student accounts with its new contract with North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Technology Focused on Student Safety
At Tyler Technologies, we know that nothing is more important than the safety of the students you transport. That’s why we’re focused on empowering districts with solutions that help you improve student security. We offer telematic solutions for student tracking, mobile apps for parents, card scan technology, and more, all fully integrated with our transportation management software. Learn more at
tylertech.com/stn.
www.stnonline.com 29
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