Is your current manual bus routing system riddled with too many management issues? Are you looking for efficient school bus routing solutions? Don’t you wish you always had an answer when a parent calls concerned about their child’s whereabouts?
Transporting students to and from school is a big responsibility that includes, but is not limited to, child safety, budgetary concerns and attendance management. That’s why many schools are putting their fleet management dependence in the proven functionalities of bus routing software.
The following are five ways the right bus routing software improves your school services:
1. Bus Routing Software Decreases Student Truancy Rates
Bus routing software that includes student GPS tracking functionality aids in the management of student attendance. Through RFID technology, students carry an ID card with a chip that is scanned at the door of the bus, ensuring attendance accountability.
The possibility of students scanning ID cards other than their own is eliminated as photos are printed on the ID cards. Photo ID cards allow bus drivers and school staff to easily verify that each student is carrying their own card.
If there’s ever a question about a student’s location, the bus routing software accurately reflects, in real time, if he or she got on or off the bus that day. This is information you are easily able to relay to parents in order to handle a truancy issue before it’s too late.
2. Bus Routing Software Ensures Students Arrive At The Right Address … Every Day
When both parents work full-time jobs, some students may need to attend after school daycare or be dropped off at their grandparents’ house. Also, split-custody arrangements mean that a student may need to be picked up or dropped off at a different location or assigned to multiple buses depending on the day of the week.
A bus routing software program with flexible student address management allows you to enter multiple address locations for each student. Many other programs do not allow for this functionality or they require a complicated process, so keep this in mind when researching school bus routing software.
3. Bus Routing Software Preserves Critical School Programs
The implementation of software into your fleet management creates efficient school bus routing. Often, when optimizing bus routes, schools are able to take at least one bus off the road, saving $50,000 a year on average in costs associated with fuel, driver salary, vehicle maintenance and insurance.
The savings achieved by bus routing software allow your school district to transfer that money to other budgetary demands, such as critical school programs that are in danger of being cut, like music or art.
4. Bus Routing Software Keeps Students Safe And Out Of Dangerous Areas
Student safety, in terms of transportation to and from school, is all about visibility. The right bus routing software allows you to visually identify (and avoid) the locations of sex offenders, known gang/drug dealer areas and liquor stores.
Bus routing software with detailed map functionality also helps you avoid scheduling bus stops that are in hazardous areas, such as multi-lane highways, high-traffic roads or unsafe corners, so your students may safely get on and off the bus, preferably where there are sidewalks.
5. Bus Routing Software Aids In Future Planning
Due to the ongoing rise of budget/funding concerns, schools may have to close and combine with other schools or other districts. It may be more economical to close a school and bus students a little further.
New developments are being added every day. New schools may need to be built to accommodate the increase in the number of enrolled students.
A valuable asset of bus routing software is the set of tools that aid in future planning. A redistricting functionality is helpful for school districts that need to figure out how to route students under new arrangements, minimize walking distances and avoid bus stop overcrowding.
Improving your school’s bus routing services provides peace of mind to parents and staff. Increased student safety, improved attendance and salvaged critical school programs are signifiers of a well-functioning school district. Bus routing software helps you consistently work towards these service improvements.
Ready to learn more about how school bus routing software improves your school district’s services? Click here or call 484-941-0820 to speak with a BusBoss student transportation management expert. 
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