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During the June 15 Bryan ISD school board meeting, trustees voted to adopt the use of the Wayfinder application, a new navigation system for its buses.
What you need to know
Wayfinder is an application by Transfinder that offers real-time GPS for bus routes, optimization of routes and tracking of students by their parents through the app. Transfinder aims to provide “peace of mind by allowing parents to track their child's bus location and estimated arrival time.”
Breaking it down
According to Bryan ISD, the district has been facing a variety of transportation challenges, which include:
The district plans to start with a pilot program, which includes a limited number of schools using the technology.
Buses will eventually be equipped with a digital roster of students for identification purposes, including information and photos of the students to help with time management and safety. Deputy Superintendent Brian Merrell said the district would plan on fully integrating the application with other technology services in the future.
“It has pictures so you can see if a kid has gotten on the bus,” he said. “Also, it links with the programs we already use, so parents will get updates. It doesn’t track the student like the RFID cards, but we’re able to manually enter that so we can communicate with parents when they get off or on the bus.”
However, future possibilities could include tracking students via their radio-frequency identification cards, along with ridership and attendance tracking.
What’s next
The board voted unanimously to approve the technology for its buses for $261,221 upfront from the 2025 bond and surplus funds from the 2020 bond. The pilot program will start for the upcoming school year.
Also on the agenda
Bryan ISD adopted a balanced budget for the 2026-27 school year. As previously reported by Community Impact, challenges with declining student enrollment and other expenditures have hurt districts throughout the state, and Bryan ISD maintained a balanced budget despite these setbacks.
