Student Ridership Collection: How It Keeps Your Students Safe from Being Left Behind on the Bus

If your district is still on the fence about using tracking systems to collect student ridership data, here's something else to consider: student tracking can help find lost children on your bus routes, or prevent them from even being lost in the first place.

Losing Track of Children on Bus Routes

There aren't any nationally compiled statistics, but stories of children being lost within their school's transportation system happen regularly throughout the school year. Children, especially younger children, can be easily overwhelmed and end up getting on the wrong bus. Or perhaps they impulsively get off at a different stop, without the bus driver noticing.

Occasionally, a child may even be left behind on the bus, falling asleep in back and then overlooked after the bus gets back to the garage.

Whenever this happens, it's bad news for everyone. Parents panic, the administration has to drop everything to search, and often the police and/or media get involved. While nearly all students are eventually located, it's still a terrifying situation that should be avoided at all costs.

Student Tracking Prevents Lost Children

The theory is simple. Students are given ID cards which can be swiped or logged (via RFID) whenever they get on or off the bus. That way, you always have an exact record of every student's movements.

RFID-based systems are typically more effective, since they don't require the student to do anything - although they can be controversial. Some systems, like the ROUTEpatrol Tablet App, even allow drivers to collect student ridership directly on the device if a student forgets their card or your district doesn't utilize them.

Either way, once you are logging your student ridership, it becomes far more difficult to ever lose track of a child. Better yet, the ID-tracking system can be connected directly to the driver's tablet or smartphone in the cab. If something unexpected happens - such as an unfamiliar child getting on, or a child getting off at the wrong stop - the bus driver is immediately alerted. This gives them time to intervene before anything goes wrong.

Or, in a worst case scenario where a student truly does go missing, at least you have a hard record of where they got off the bus, as a starting point for the search.

This makes for one of the most compelling arguments for implementing student ID tracking. No parent wants their child to be lost, and ID tracking makes it far less likely to happen.

If you're looking to invest in student tracking systems or other school bus technology upgrades, BusBoss can help! We have over 25 years' experience helping schools upgrade and streamline their systems. Contact us to learn more.

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