Clear Creek ISD at its June 24 meeting approved nearly $1.5 million for projects—the bulk of which will go toward a program meant to help the district upgrade its busing and transportation capabilities.

What you need to know

Of the $1.5 million approved, $1.3 million of it will go toward Transfinder, which is a program that will be used to help the district organize student transportation, according to agenda documents.

The cost, which Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Paul Miller acknowledged was pricier than the existing system, is for three years, he said. The money will come out of the district’s 2017 bond savings.

Officials said the program will offer services such as:

• Scheduling trips
• Routing and mapping tools
• Ridership tracking
• Wayfinder features
• Turn-by-turn navigation

The main feature officials highlighted at the meeting was the parent communication and alerts system, which will tell parents when a bus is arriving and if their student has gotten off the bus, officials said.

What they said

Miller said at the meeting the district had been working toward obtaining this program “for a really long time.” He said the new program will be an upgrade from the district’s existing system.

“It’s definitely a big, huge change in what we currently have and the capabilities of the current system,” Miller said. “It’s a really great system.”

Board member Scott Bowen said he thought it would help continue to solve several of the challenges of busing students.

“I’m really proud of the work that went into it, and I’m glad we were able to do this,” Bowen said.

What else?

The rest of the cost, around $195,000, will go toward aesthetic improvements at Clear Creek Intermediate, according to district documents. Those include painting walls, replacing ceiling tiles and upgrading lighting in the main corridors to LED lights.

Editor's note: The byline of this story has been updated.