There’s a new tool in place to ensure our students get to school and back home again safely. Our Transportation Department has been working to implement SMART tag systems on elementary school buses for the past year.
We’re excited to share that deployment on our elementary buses is now complete.
Here’s how it works. When an elementary student enters or exits a school bus, they scan their SMART ID Tag on a tablet. This provides valuable real-time information for our bus drivers, NEISD Transportation, school administrators and parents. These secure tags do NOT contain personal student information and cannot be used to monitor a rider’s location when they’re not on the bus.
The system’s benefits include several layers of efficiency and safety.
- Bus drivers will see student photos and names on their tablet when IDs are scanned, ensuring they are on the correct bus.
- Bus drivers can easily verify authorized guardians at pick-up locations for all pre-K and kindergarten students.
- Parents can access an online portal that will let them get text notifications including when the bus is nearby and when their students get on and off the bus.
- Transportation staff and school administrators can track real-time data on routes.
- Dispatchers can view maps with live GPS bus locations and ridership data.
It takes all of us to be #NEISDsafe.
Remember, the North East Tip Line (neisd.net/tipline) gives you a safe and confidential way to report a wide variety of safety concerns. You can also call the North East Police Department non-emergency line at 210-407-0925.
