Lobby MCPS for GPS bus tracking app?

[Anonymous]

My sister has her children in Prince George's county. Parents over there are able to track when the school bus is coming in real time, which makes it easier for parents. Can we agree to use this thread to begin to list reasons why this is beneficial for MCPS and parents? Once we have gathered and generated enough issue would people be willing to utilize their PTA to email the board and council?


1. Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.
2. A bus app is keeping with modern times and flexibility.
3. Most parents would be willing to pay between $1-$5 if it is not in the county budget to have this flexibility and freedom.


Please add on below.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister has her children in Prince George's county. Parents over there are able to track when the school bus is coming in real time, which makes it easier for parents. Can we agree to use this thread to begin to list reasons why this is beneficial for MCPS and parents? Once we have gathered and generated enough issue would people be willing to utilize their PTA to email the board and council?


1. Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.
2. A bus app is keeping with modern times and flexibility.
3. Most parents would be willing to pay between $1-$5 if it is not in the county budget to have this flexibility and freedom.


Please add on below.

How do you figure this? The bus would not get there are faster with GPS.

Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.

[Anonymous]

Just put tracking on your kid's phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just put tracking on your kid's phone.

+ 1

I have GPS tracking (sharing location) for all family members. I can see the benefit of the bus having the GPS too though. It is a good idea and parents should be able to fund that if MCPS cannot.

[Anonymous]

The purpose of bus tracking is for parents. Sometimes the bus is on time, delayed, etc in the morning. This would give parents potentially another 3-5 minutes in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just put tracking on your kid's phone.

This

Really not necessary for MCPS to have this. Especially when there are 1 million other things that MCPS' money would be better spent on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The purpose of bus tracking is for parents. Sometimes the bus is on time, delayed, etc in the morning. This would give parents potentially another 3-5 minutes in the morning.

Not worth the money, IMO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister has her children in Prince George's county. Parents over there are able to track when the school bus is coming in real time, which makes it easier for parents. Can we agree to use this thread to begin to list reasons why this is beneficial for MCPS and parents? Once we have gathered and generated enough issue would people be willing to utilize their PTA to email the board and council?


1. Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.
2. A bus app is keeping with modern times and flexibility.
3. Most parents would be willing to pay between $1-$5 if it is not in the county budget to have this flexibility and freedom.


Please add on below.

How do you figure this? The bus would not get there are faster with GPS.

Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.

Kids are not marked tardy if they arrive by school bus. If you decide that Larla can’t wait 10 more minutes for a bus running late and you let her catch an Uber or stay home, that is on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister has her children in Prince George's county. Parents over there are able to track when the school bus is coming in real time, which makes it easier for parents. Can we agree to use this thread to begin to list reasons why this is beneficial for MCPS and parents? Once we have gathered and generated enough issue would people be willing to utilize their PTA to email the board and council?


1. Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.
2. A bus app is keeping with modern times and flexibility.
3. Most parents would be willing to pay between $1-$5 if it is not in the county budget to have this flexibility and freedom.


Please add on below.

How do you figure this? The bus would not get there are faster with GPS.

Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.

Kids are not marked tardy if they arrive by school bus. If you decide that Larla can’t wait 10 more minutes for a bus running late and you let her catch an Uber or stay home, that is on you.

I guess OP is thinking of times when the bus is early?

[Anonymous]

I drop my student at the bus-stop but there many a times the bus is late and then I am not sure for how long I can leave her standing alone at the bus-stop. I have to go to work also, and so I drive her to school. Her bus seems to frequently have breakdowns and the bus-drivers change too. Having a GPS would be really beneficial because I will be able to figure out how much longer to wait or to drop her off at another location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I drop my student at the bus-stop but there many a times the bus is late and then I am not sure for how long I can leave her standing alone at the bus-stop. I have to go to work also, and so I drive her to school. Her bus seems to frequently have breakdowns and the bus-drivers change too. Having a GPS would be really beneficial because I will be able to figure out how much longer to wait or to drop her off at another location.

THIS!! It would be nice if county buses had a metro like app.

[Anonymous]

An advantage, if parents (or students) used the tracking system would be that the schools and bus depot would have many, many fewer calls from parents wondering when the bus will arrive.

Tracking kids by phone/watch will only help when the kids are on the bus, but not when waiting for the bus to arrive for pick up. It also assumes kids have devices and have them with them.

Another advantage for parents who track their kids, you could see if your kid is indeed on the bus...

I've been in another system that tracks busses and it's really helpful for parents, students, schools and the bus depot. Also much safer than the depot calling the bus to see where they are. It would give the depot realtime information w/o interrupting the driver from his/her task of driving the bus.

[Anonymous]

I am not willing to pay as MCPS took away our buses saying they were less than a mile when we are not in less you cut through woods.

Get your child a Verizon Gizmo - $5 a month if you are on Verizon and $15 a month if not. It has a GPS, phone and very limited texting. Works great. We are very happy with ours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister has her children in Prince George's county. Parents over there are able to track when the school bus is coming in real time, which makes it easier for parents. Can we agree to use this thread to begin to list reasons why this is beneficial for MCPS and parents? Once we have gathered and generated enough issue would people be willing to utilize their PTA to email the board and council?


1. Real Time bus tracking would cut down on the number of tardies, absences, etc.
2. A bus app is keeping with modern times and flexibility.
3. Most parents would be willing to pay between $1-$5 if it is not in the county budget to have this flexibility and freedom.


Please add on below.

How do they handle the following situation: Bus breaks down necessitating a transfer to another bus. Everyone downstream can see that the regular bus is stuck somewhere. They would like to know when the replacing bus would reach their stop. In PG county do the apps provide this information?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not willing to pay as MCPS took away our buses saying they were less than a mile when we are not in less you cut through woods.

Get your child a Verizon Gizmo - $5 a month if you are on Verizon and $15 a month if not. It has a GPS, phone and very limited texting. Works great. We are very happy with ours.

Do you mean cut through woods, like bushwhacking, or cut through woods, like there's an actual paved path for people to walk?