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JCPS planning to launch bus tracking technology; Here's how it will work

The district said it will use T-Mobile for software and Edulog for a downloadable app.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) works to fix the transportation disaster from the first day of school, Superintendent Marty Pollio said bus tracking technology and an app for parents is part of the solution. 

The district told WHAS11 it is partnering with T-Mobile and tech company Edulog. T-Mobile will handle the software and Edulog will handle the app, a spokesperson said.

Bus tracking technology isn't new to other districts in Kentuckiana and across the country. 

Tuesday, WHAS11 spoke with Kevin Devore, director of logistics for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. 

The North Carolina district has used the tracking app 'Here Comes the Bus' for about six years.

"Our parents and students and public wanted that additional ability to find out where that bus was at on a minute-to-minute, second-to-second basis," Devore said. 

He said there was a learning curve initially because it takes time to make sure manual changes to things like driver schedules are added to the app. 

"The biggest thing you can do is make sure that the plan that you operate is in the software and that the drivers operate the plan that's put in place," Devore said. 

Closer to home, Greater Clark County School's transportation director Daniel Borders said the district uses Ride360, which he called a benefit not just to parents but to drivers too. 

"We tell our drivers all the time when you look in that rearview mirror, don't think of it as 30, 40, 50 kids. That's 40 or 50 worlds," he said. 

The transition wasn't seamless for GCCS. Borders said at first the district had separate providers for the GPS systems on the buses and for the app itself. 

He said that led to some delays in communicating real-time information. 

Similarly to Charlotte-Mecklenburg, GCCS has since consolidated systems, using one company for both services. 

"You've got to vet the system, you've got to vet the provider, you've got to vet the units because everything has to work seamlessly," he said. 

Borders added the system has been working great since then. Additionally, the start of school was smooth -- the average GCCS student was only 10 to 15 minutes late getting home on the first day. 

JCPS has not said for sure when the technology would be available, but Monday night, Pollio said the district hopes to have an app up and running by the end of the week or the beginning of next. 

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