Benefits of Student Ridership Tracking Systems

Should your school district implement electronic ID cards for student ridership tracking on buses?

Since the first use of ID cards to track students in Houston, in 2004, the practice has been highly controversial. Yet schools continue to experiment with ID cards for tracking student ridership and attendance, because it brings a lot of long-term benefits for a reasonable cost.

What is ridership tracking, and what can it do for your school district? Let's take a look.

How Student Ridership Tracking Works

Currently, there are three basic ways of tracking student ID cards, with scanners installed on buses.

1. RFID. Radio Frequency IDentificiation chips are small radios that can be embedded into ID cards and broadcast a short-range identification signal within a few hundred feet.
2. NFC. Near-Field Communication chips are similar to RFID, except they have an even shorter range, typically only a few inches.
3. Barcodes. Classic barcodes (or QR codes) are still in use, and are the most affordable option for student ID tracking. However, they require students to actively swipe their card, rather than using passive radio connections.

Any of these technologies can be used to track student ridership on buses. While some are made uncomfortable by direct student tracking, managing your student ridership becomes easier if implemented in your district.

Why Utilize ID Cards for Student Ridership Tracking?

Despite some largely overblown privacy concerns, the reality is that student tracking will bring significant benefits to your bus system.

1 - Always know who's on your buses

The most direct benefit of student ID tracking is that you will always have accurate data about bus usage: who gets on, who gets off, when and where. The onboard ID scanner will register and record every student as they come and go. This data can later be analyzed to help refine your bus routes and ridership.

2 - Prevent ridership mistakes

Children are accident-prone, and could easily get onto the wrong bus, or get off at the wrong stop. With a cloud-connected system, the ID tracking system would be able to instantly alert bus drivers to the problem. This gives them time to correct any errors before the bus leaves and help ensure every student gets on and off at the right spots.

It can even prevent rare cases of students falling asleep on the bus and ending up back at the barn. If the students that got on are not marked as getting off, the driver gets alerted so he can do a sweep of the bus to make sure there are no students still onboard.

3 - GPS tracking adds more data

Chances are, you already have GPS tracking systems on your buses. These pair extremely well with ID tracking, because that gives you exact data on where every student disembarks. Again, this can help prevent lost students, or students accidentally getting off at the wrong stop.

Parents can also be notified instantly so they are kept informed of where their child got on and off the bus.

Whenever a student is 'lost' within the transportation system, they need to be located ASAP. A proper student ID tracking setup makes this far easier to accomplish, with a minimum of drama.

4 - Improve state reporting

If your state reimburses bus expenses based on ridership, ID tracking can be an invaluable tool for guaranteeing you get your full reimbursement. You'll have exact computer-tracked data, securely stored and ready to be put into your state reports. There's far less chance of human error, or under-counting your ridership.

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School Bus Tracking Benefits Everyone

Tracking is good for districts, it’s good for students, and it’s good for parents. That makes it a real win-win investment for districts. What arguments do you find compelling, when talking about bus tracking?