Student Tracking Software, student ridership, school bus software, Yellow School Bus, school bus reporting
Major policy decisions are based on school districts’ federal and state reporting as are billions of dollars in funding. It was 2018 when Education Week revealed “wild” data inaccuracies in federal desegregation data. Also that year, National Public Radio reported two-thirds of reported school shootings in 2015-2016 never happened.
More often than not, messy data is the result of incorrect data entry in which a wrong number is either entered into the system by accident or is generated by a miscalculation… (Data discrepancies) can also be driven by incentive to look better. -U.S. News & World Report
Student transportation reporting became a priority as early as 1969, the year that may have been the instance of data-sorting school transportation information. A New Jersey school district used an IBM computer to run its schools’ bus scheduling program by factoring traffic and intersections, road conditions, and student locations. New Jersey’s director of pupil transportation said it reduced bus driving time and distance.
School Transportation Reporting & Responsibilities
Ultimately, the accuracy – and the inaccuracy – of school transportation reporting lies with the district’s transportation manager. Employed by the educational organization, this person’s designation can be:
- Director of logistics
- Driver/logistics manager
- Fleet manager
- Logistics coordinator
- Operations manager
- Operations supervisor
- Warehouse manager
…and other titles. Even if the school district’s student transportation is outsourced, there should always be one person overseeing all operations and responsible for accuracy. The transportation manager usually has the responsibility to prepare and submit accurate, up-to-date transportation reports to schools and governing organizations.
Responsibilities can include:
- Bus drivers’ recruitment, screening, training, evaluations
- Complaints/concerns management/documentation
- Emergency/evacuation procedure
- Equipment purchasing/servicing
- Expenditure reporting
- Fuel consumption/efficiency
- Maintenance
- Parental communications/relations
- Routing
- Schedules/timetables
- Special needs accommodations
- Student contact information
- Student safety
- …and more
Loss of confidence in school transportation can become a very real problem. What else can happen when honest mistakes occur in student transportation reports?
For example, in Texas, a route services report must be submitted for transportation funding. An operations report must include overall cost and mileage information, even for transportation that is not eligible for funding. The information in both reports should match. In this case, an inaccuracy will raise a red flag that could lead to loss or a reduction in critical financing for your school district.
Automated Student Information Updates Reduce Inaccuracies
Centralized student information (CSI) database software has made it easier to track student registrations by school or district, year-round. School buses now equipped with GPS, radio, and Wi-Fi real-time reporting integrations almost eliminate the risks of inaccurate information.
Bus Boss LiveSYNC automatically updates student information databases as students are added, withdrawn, or relocated within the district.
- Automatically exports pick-up and drop-off bus route information into student information systems
- Includes/updates pick-up and/or drop-off locations for home to school, alternate addresses for split-custody or primary/secondary routing
- Verifies all home and mailing addresses are accurate
Seamless tracking and effective transportation management give school districts and their parents the reassurance needed to entrust their precious cargo to any fleet system. School bus transportation planning can now include ways to reduce expenses and personnel without compromising safety or travel times.
Ask us about remote software solutions to manage mobility requirements, personnel training, and support services for your schools’ transportation technology. Call 866-740-8994 or contact BusBoss.
Mistakes happen in student transportation. What’s the biggest blunder your school made that had a happy ending? Share your lessons learned.
(484) 941-0820
