LONGVIEW, Texas — The Longview school district is taking bus safety to a whole new level.
The district has implemented a bus tracking system in all 65 of their busses. The system allows parents to track their children's location when they get on and off the bus.
The Longview ISD has been working on implementing this technology since April.
The district board approved a $37,827 contract with a company in Austin to incorporate it.
“It was something that the Transportation Department and the superintendents here at Longview ISD, along with the board wanted to do," said Franciso Rojas, Public Information Officer for Longview ISD. "They wanted to come up with something innovative, that could bring peace of mind for families.”
It’s peace of mind in the palm of you and your child’s hands.
Here are the four steps for parents to follow in order to get access to their child’s location as they ride the bus:
- Download the Zonar MyView app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter the School Access Code: 75602
- Enter your child’s student ID
- Select the notification method (via the app or via text message).
Once you’ve completed those steps you’ll have full access to your child’s location along with other additional features.
Those include any mechanical issues with the bus, as well as wrecks.
If you or your child happen to lose their student ID, it’s a $2 charge to get it replaced.
Longview ISD is the only school district in East Texas to have this advanced feature.
The district is looking forward to the great impact this new bus safety feature will have on the district.
“This is a huge help for our families because it allows them to have that security when their student is on the bus, when they got on the bus, when they get out of the bus,” said Rojas. "The location, the specific time it sends them all types of notifications, important things that they need to know about their student’s route.”
Students will begin to use their student IDs for the bus tracking system Wednesday, October 27. To learn more about Longview ISD’s bus tracking system click here.