Fort Bend ISD is considering outfitting its school buses with Wi-Fi connectivity and other smart technology, enabling the district to track where students get on and off buses, while providing parents with arrival time alerts and other features.
FBISD will begin a pilot program in about a month, in which three district buses will get smart technology, said Lesli Howland, account manager for Presidio, a network solutions provider that works with many school districts.
“They [FBISD] mostly like the safety and security features, such as checking students on and off the bus,” Howland said.
FBISD officials visited Huntsville ISD recently to learn about that district’s plans to turn its own 87 buses into a fleet of “smart buses” this summer, and to view the technology at work.
Tim Hooks, director of transportation for Huntsville ISD, said he has been visited by a number of school districts, including Fort Bend ISD, as word of Huntsville’s smart bus project has spread.
"Fort Bend ISD is exploring numerous products and has not completed its evaluation of the technology and services," FBISD spokesperson Amanda Bubela wrote in an email. "We utilize various evaluation processes when looking at technology and its potential impact on the district."
Smart technology for school buses is offered by a number of companies, and Huntsville ISD bought theirs from Presidio, the world’s largest producer of covert tracking devices, according to its website.
Presidio account manager Calvin Douglas described some smart technology
features available for school buses:
- Cameras: In the event of a crash or health emergency, police and other first responders can see what is happening inside the bus in real time.
- Dashboard tablet: The device can display the name and photo of each student scheduled to get on and off the bus at each stop
- Motion sensors, student I.D. tags, fingerprint scanners: Such devices can identify students and track their movements more precisely.
- App for parents: The mobile device app monitors when and where a child got on and off the bus along with a bus’s location. It can also send alerts for late arrivals and emergencies.
- GPS navigation: The system provides bus drivers with routes and driving instructions unique for large vehicles unable to make sharper turns.
- Vehicle diagnostics: Such systems can provide dispatchers with a specific explanation of the problem the bus is experiencing.
