First and foremost: Our hearts go out to those who have suffered personal tragedy during these times. We are all struggling with the implications of the recent months and only time will tell what the long-term results will be.

As we cross into late-May, some districts are talking about limited openings, and many if not most are actively planning for the 2020-2021 year. What might be different?

More Buses, Fewer Kids

There is some discussion of requiring additional buses or staggered additional routes in order to minimize crowding. The logistics and expense of a change like this are daunting and simple route management tool & parent app become more important. We’re keeping an eye on features that would help if this becomes reality.

Federal / State Assistance

If governments create policies that impose additional financial burden on transportation departments, those governments may also bear some responsibility for helping defray those costs. Should such funds materialize, this could be the ideal time to invest in a bus tracking and parent app system like BusWhere as part of the expanded program.

Testing and Tracing

The key to curbing COVID-19 is testing and tracing. If an ill student gets on a bus in the morning, we can help start tracing there. BusWhere provides an intuitive and easy-to-implement student tracking system such that if this is a requirement, we can help you meet it. Our RFID tags attach via a key ring to the student’s backpack, and parents control how the student is identified to the administration for enhanced privacy. For the school, the fact that parents set up the tags means no central database to be maintained, and replacing a tag is as easy as the parent picking up a replacement in the office.

These are some of the most challenging times any of us remember — but the displays of personal courage and strength that we’ve seen are inspiring and give us great confidence that this too will pass, and we will come out healthier, wiser, and better equipped to deal with the next challenge.