Josh Nease never imagined that pen and paper could feel like an artifact of the past, but in his 24th year in transportation, it did.

During his career in transportation, he would go through “a lot of forms, one at a time” and receive “a lot of input from the drivers,” he recalled.

“They would sit down with us and go over their routes and we’d make adjustments,” Nease said.

For years, it worked well enough, but “well enough” had begun to fray at the edges.

This year marked a turning point at Pleasant Local School District: a bold leap from analog to digital. A new routing software – something the district had flirted with for years but never quite embraced—was now fully implemented.

Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS has been a game changer.

Pleasant Local School District is located in Marion, Ohio, a city of about 36,000 located about 50 miles north of Columbus. The district has 1,300 students and transports 700 of them via a two-tier system. Nease had inherited the role of Transportation Supervisor from Tom Haley, his predecessor of 15 years. It was Haley who had planted the seeds of change.

“We’d been talking about doing something like this for two or three years,” Nease said. “We just couldn’t find something that was really the right fit for what we needed that we could afford in our budget.”

It wasn’t until a new superintendent, Tom McDonald, entered the scene that those seeds began to sprout. McDonald, who had come from a larger district equipped with routing software, quickly recognized inefficiencies. Personally overhearing dispatchers and staff converse over the radio to determine routes and stops for students, McDonald was even more on board to find a software solution.

The district looked at three or so companies before deciding Transfinder was the best choice.

“The others didn’t seem to flow,” Nease said. “The ease of use just didn’t seem to be there.” Helping to confirm the decision was the fact that several neighboring districts were happy Transfinder clients.

By the time Nease officially took the reins, the plan was already in motion. Last year his team spent time training, building, and beta-testing Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS routing system. Now, for the first time, they had a tool that could streamline transportation for the district’s 1,300 students, about 700 of whom relied on the buses daily.

Beyond Routefinder PLUS, the district added Transfinder’s award-winning Stopfinder parent app and Viewfinder, a tool to monitor day-to-day operations and access student ridership information, such as student bus information.

As Nease settled into the new system, the changes were immediate. The 2024-2025 school year was the first school year utilizing the Transfinder technology.

“It’s given the buildings easier access to things. They’re not constantly calling over to the garage for bus stop information,” he said. “The secretaries can get on and look at it. It’s been very, very helpful.”

Routefinder PLUS led to one smoothest openings in recent memory.

“It’s just made things run a lot smoother than they did in the past,” Nease said.

What made this school year’s opening so smooth? Learn more here. 

 

The post Routes of Change – Ohio District Travels on the Safe Side with Transfinder appeared first on School Transportation News.

Complexity is the name of the game for any school transportation operation, and challenges are compounded for districts with student ridership in the thousands.

At West Ada School District in Idaho, Transportation Liaison RD Huntley supports the transportation of 12,500 students every school day. When asked to pinpoint the difference between the challenges faced by small and large districts, Huntley said: “The simple answer is volume. More students require greater coordination between management, drivers, administration, and technology.”

Serving a larger number of students well requires more resources, including people, vehicles, and technology. Tyler Technologies’ all-in-one student transportation solutions help large districts, including West Ada SD, to connect their transportation resources and processes.

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To learn more about Tyler Technologies’ Student Transportation software and tools that help streamline the complexities of large transportation operations, watch their Student Transportation for Large Districts webinar.

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To meet the challenges large school districts face — and empower the people who make those bus trips run smoothly — there are 5 key roles technology can play in supporting transportation operations.

1. Ensuring Every Student’s Needs Are Met, Every Day

Picture a typical day in a large transportation operation: routers constantly creating routes, dispatchers making real-time adjustments, and drivers navigating their assigned runs. With so many moving parts, how do you ensure every student’s unique needs are communicated and met seamlessly? In this dynamic environment, ensuring no detail is overlooked is crucial to delivering safe and reliable service for every child.

Huntley and the West Ada transportation department use Tyler Technologies’ Student Transportation software and Tyler Drive onboard tablets to help them stay on top of every detail.

“I cannot over-emphasize the value of the software and tablet integration,” Huntley said. “The software allows unlimited users, putting a wealth of information in the hands of district personnel and school administration, including bus stop information, vehicle tracking, and student ridership.”

The system acts as a safety net, providing real-time alerts and safeguards throughout the operational workflow.

For instance, consider the critical need for a wheelchair lift on a specific bus. If a new route is created without ensuring the assigned vehicle has the proper equipment, a student relying on that lift could face significant disruption in their day, potentially missing class or essential services. By integrating safeguards, like the instant alerts in Student Transportation routing software, these crucial details are flagged before they become issues.

A missed accommodation like this doesn’t just inconvenience a student—it can negatively impact their entire educational experience. By proactively addressing such needs, we can help ensure no student is left behind due to logistical oversight. The seamless flow of critical student information, from the router at the software level to Tyler Drive for the driver, is invaluable in making sure every need is met and every student receives the service they are entitled to.

These proactive safeguards are built to ensure that no matter who is making a change, every staff member is aware and responsive to the unique needs of the students. This comprehensive approach gives large operations the tools to help them provide the highest level of service and safety every day.

2. Streamlining Communication with Families and Staff

In large transportation operations, changes are inevitable — from driver switches to bus reroutes. Keeping everyone informed, especially parents and guardians, can be a challenge. Tyler Technologies makes communication seamless, eliminating the extra steps typically involved in updating families.

Huntley said, “The use of My Ride K-12 at West Ada School District has made communication with parents simple and effective. Parents can observe the expected arrival of their bus, be notified when their student gets on or off, and receive messages from dispatch for any changes that may occur.”

When working with a large staff and complex operation, having a solution that streamlines processes without adding extra work is crucial. Tyler Technologies’ platform not only simplifies internal communication, but also provides transparency and peace of mind for families, ensuring everyone is quickly and accurately informed. “Communicating with families through My Ride K-12 has dramatically reduced incoming phone communications and given parents stronger confidence in our transportation services,” Huntley said.

3. Informing Decisions and Achieving Compliance With Robust Reporting

For transportation directors managing large operations, it’s crucial to simultaneously evaluate daily performance, ensure compliance, and maximize funding opportunities. Tyler Technologies’ software provides robust and accurate reporting tools that cover all aspects of transportation management.

“The reporting capabilities of Tyler’s software are instrumental in evaluating on-time performance, RFID usage, and required information for state reports. If you need information, the system can provide it,” Huntley said. Directors can also evaluate bus stops, route efficiency, driver performance, and student safety, gaining detailed insights to make informed decisions quickly.

Additionally, the software offers specialized reports to simplify the process of meeting state annual reporting requirements and filing for Medicaid reimbursements. Tyler’s system ensures that all necessary data is accurately tracked, recorded, and formatted for easy submission, reducing administrative burden and improving the chances of reimbursement. With precise, real-time data at their fingertips, transportation leaders can confidently manage compliance, secure funding, and continually enhance their operations.

4. Integrating Alternative Transportation Solutions

Often, transporting more students also means offering more transportation options. Large districts might transport students to special programs and magnet schools, coordinate their routes with public transportation, and serve more students with special needs or those who are protected under the McKinney-Vento Act. To provide these options and serve all their students’ needs, large districts often work with transportation contractors or third-party vendors for services including alternative transportation, RFID cards, and dispatch.

For example, districts serving a large number of students with special needs or Individualized Education Program (IEPs) might leverage a ride-share style alternative transportation vendor to provide a safe and comfortable experience for students that struggle in a typical school bus environment. But it’s important for the transportation department to keep track of students using those alternative transportation methods just as they do for students riding their own buses. Data integration between a district’s student transportation software and other transportation technology partners is critical to ensuring student safety, clear communication, and operational efficiency.

Tyler connects these solutions through Onboard Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), a one-stop data exchange that uses Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to bridge the silos of information between transportation technology providers to empower transportation leaders with more customization and flexibility to support their students. With a growing network of integrators, Onboard iPaaS securely joins transportation applications together to maximize the value of the data already being generated by the tools large districts use every day.

5. Supporting Transportation Staff

In 2021, West Ada School District saw a sharp decline in student ridership — dropping from 13,000 to 8,500. Contributing factors ranged from the impact of COVID-19 and driver shortages to inefficient routing and low parent confidence.

“The district’s decision to bring in Tyler’s Student Transportation software, Tyler Drive tablets, RFID readers, and student cards, along with returning customer service and routing to the district, has resulted in an upward trend with ridership,” said Huntley.

By providing their transportation staff with powerful and connected tools, West Ada SD rebuilt their operation. At 12,500 today, ridership has nearly returned to pre-pandemic numbers.

“The difference is the efficiency of the routes, driver confidence, and parents being supplied critical information to satisfy their previous concerns. This all could not be possible without our Tyler Student Transportation software,” said Huntley.

The driver shortage has impacted districts of all sizes, but every driver counts even more so when there are more students to transport. With chronic absenteeism on the rise, increasing ridership is not just a logistical challenge but a critical solution to getting students back to school consistently.

Reliable transportation can play a pivotal role in reducing absenteeism, ensuring students have access to the education they need. As we work to optimize routes and address the shortage, we must also focus on maximizing ridership, making every bus and every driver even more essential to the success of the entire system.

Tyler Drive tablets can help districts recruit and retain drivers by helping them feel supported. For example, drivers at West Ada SD feel confident taking on any route when their bus is equipped with Tyler Drive.

“The tablets with real-time navigation have revolutionized the insecurities usually affiliated with driving in unknown areas and the distraction of paper route sheets,” said Huntley. For new drivers, substitutes, and even seasoned drivers on an unfamiliar route, Tyler Drive empowers driver confidence and supports more efficient routing.

Bus drivers at West Ada SD are also supported with Tyler’s advanced solutions, which are designed to meet the complex needs of large districts. For example, the district uses Advanced Activity Trips to plan, execute, and invoice a trip from start to finish. And the user interface is easy for their drivers to pick up.

“Since it mirrors the routing software, drivers do not need to learn a separate system to successfully operate a trip,” said Huntley. These solutions help set drivers up for success, giving them tools to complete their routes safely and efficiently.

Tyler’s Suite of Integrated Student Transportation Tools

The data that supports school transportation operations is complex, and connecting all the technology districts use can be cumbersome. To help transportation departments put the pieces together, Tyler Technologies’ Student Transportation solutions offer a one-stop shop for everything from routing, fleet maintenance, and activity trips to parent communication, GPS, and telematics.

And when your students require more specific or custom solutions to meet their needs, Tyler is committed to supporting integrations with your other transportation technology vendors through the Onboard iPaaS network.

To learn more about how Tyler’s integrated software and seamless connections can support your large transportation operations, register for their upcoming webinar.

The post 5 Ways Large Districts Can Improve Transportation Operations with Technology appeared first on School Transportation News.

Imagine having fun at work.

Lyndsie Rodriguez says that’s what happened to her when her district, Lubbock Independent School District in Texas, upgraded from Routefinder Pro, once the industry’s Gold Standard for school bus routing, to Routefinder PLUS.

Lubbock ISD, located in the base of the panhandle, serves approximately 25,000 students, of which around 5,000 to 6,000 students are transported daily by the district’s buses. This involves managing 56 special education routes and 58 general education routes.

Lyndsie, Lubbock ISD’s router, says the district successfully made the move from Pro to PLUS, a seamless transition despite the size and complexity of its transportation system. Lubbock made the switch during the summer when transportation demands were lower.

She credits the smooth implementation to the support from Transfinder and the time taken to thoroughly test and adapt the system before the school year began. The district also took advantage of this time to retrain staff and work out any issues before fully launching the new system. This careful planning paid off.

“Everything has been really smooth,” she says.

The move from Pro to PLUS brought significant improvements to the district’s transportation operations. Lyndsie sheds light on the differences between the two systems and the positive impact PLUS has had on the district’s routing efficiency.

For Lyndsie, Routefinder PLUS represented a necessary advancement.

“Pro was good to start and learn to understand how everything works,” she says, “being brand new into [routing] and being taught by somebody who had been doing it for years. But PLUS was a necessary step to improve the quality of our routes, time management, and drivers’ understanding of where we’re going.”

One key feature that stood out for Lyndsie was the map-editing functionality in Routefinder PLUS. “I did not touch maps at all” in Pro, she says. In PLUS, Lyndsie finds the tools easy to use.

“It’s actually really fun. Sometimes I just sit there and create neighborhoods that we haven’t created yet,” she remarks, underscoring how user-friendly the map canvas and other features are in PLUS.

This improved user experience wasn’t just a matter of aesthetics or ease. According to Lyndsie, the enhanced features in Routefinder PLUS have directly contributed to more efficient routing and time management.

“We get stuff done a lot faster in PLUS rather than in Pro,” she notes. With Lubbock ISD often cycling drivers to other districts to help out with their transportation systems, PLUS has made it easier for drivers to understand routes and seamlessly assist other areas.

When asked whether she would ever consider going back to Pro, Lyndsie was unequivocal in her response:

“Absolutely not.” She adds that she encouraged the move to PLUS after her predecessor, who’d been routing for nearly three decades, retired. Comparing PLUS to Pro, Lyndsie says: “It’s cleaner. It’s prettier. It’s nicer. It’s more efficient,” emphasizing that Routefinder PLUS is more user-friendly and has the potential to unlock new levels of operational excellence for Lubbock ISD’s transportation department.

“There’s so much more potential here,” she says.

Lyndsie’s endorsement of the system is clear: the benefits of PLUS far outweigh any initial hesitation or learning curve that came with transitioning from Pro.

For other districts still using Routefinder Pro that may be hesitant to make the switch to PLUS, Lyndsie’s message is simple: “What are you waiting for?”

Although she admits to having initially sitting on the fence about the timing of the upgrade, not wanting to implement in the middle of the school year, she believes that moving to PLUS was a smart and necessary decision for Lubbock ISD.

And the Transfinder team, she says, was there all along the way.

“Everyone has been so amazing and helpful,” she says. “Y’all are so awesome, and I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever.”

Learn more at www.transfinder.com.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Router: Going from Pro to PLUS Made Work Fun appeared first on School Transportation News.

With so much information at our fingertips, it’s frustrating when we can’t quickly find what we’re looking for. On-demand access to information is expected for just about everything — including a student’s school transportation details.

Mobile apps for parent communication, such as Tyler Technologies’ My Ride K-12 app, empower transportation departments to share real-time updates with parents about bus schedules, route changes, and the time and location where their student gets on and off the bus. These apps help parents stay informed, plan their schedules, and eliminate their need to call the transportation department — while simultaneously supporting on-time performance and operational efficiency.

But these tools can only solve communication challenges when parents get on board, so how do you get parents to download and use them regularly? Read on to learn about two districts’ tactics that could work for you, too.

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To learn more about Tyler Technologies’ Student Transportation and parent communication solutions, register for their upcoming My Ride K-12 webinar.

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A Better Way to Keep Parents in the Know

At Sherwood School District 88J in Oregon, the transportation department was bogged down with parent phone calls — and they found themselves repeatedly answering the same questions. “We’re a small district, but we still get a huge amount of phone calls,” said Casey Jebens, transportation director at Sherwood.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (BHBL) Central School District in New York was also searching for ways to help parents get the information they needed without calling the transportation department. “Especially during dispatch time, we might not be able to pick up the phone to give the parents an immediate answer,” said Katria Hitrick, administrator for student transportation at BHBL.

To streamline their communication to parents, the districts launched Tyler’s My Ride K-12 mobile app. Today, about 90% of families at Sherwood are using it and BHBL has cut parent phone calls in half — and the benefits go beyond keeping parents up to date on when the bus will arrive. The app has also empowered the transportation departments to provide clear and timely communication about incidents or route changes during inclement weather.

“The parents feel that we’ve done a better job communicating with them. They don’t have to wait for us to be in the office to answer a question. They can look up a lot of that information on their own in the My Ride K-12 app,” Jebens said.

The transportation team at Sherwood won an Excellence Award from Tyler Technologies in 2023 for their work to improve parent communication.

How to Increase App Awareness and Downloads

To achieve their high adoption rates of My Ride K-12, Sherwood and BHBL leveraged multiple communication channels to spread awareness. That strategy helped them meet parents where they were already looking for information.

“It depends on the grade level and the actual families,” said Hitrick. “Some will always go to the website, some will never go to the website. The more ways we can get the information in their hands, the better.”

Both districts shared examples of places they got the word out about My Ride K-12, including transportation arrangement letters or emails, ‘Welcome Back’ letters from the Superintendent, and their transportation departments’ webpages.

Sherwood also helped their drivers field parent questions while on their routes. Jebens explained, “We printed a QR code the drivers had plastered on their route books. For the first six weeks after we rolled out the app, the parents would ask questions of the driver and they could just hold up that book. Parents would scan the QR code and it would send them to our website where all that information is.”

Inevitably, parents will still pick up the phone, but Jebens noted that as another opportunity. “Every time a parent calls the transportation department, we push them toward My Ride K-12,” he said. Those interactions help parents understand that the information they’re looking for is available on demand through the app — no need to call the office.

How to Get Parents to Use the App Regularly

Even after parents download the app, some might forget to use it. Parent phone calls can be a great opportunity to remind them, and both districts noted My Ride K-12’s push notifications are a helpful way to keep the app top of mind.

At BHBL, Hitrick’s team sends a custom push notification at the start of the school year to welcome families back and remind them about the information they can access through My Ride K-12. “It’s easy to forget. I don’t know how many apps I’ve signed up for and don’t even realize I have them,” she said. Many busy parents are likely in the same boat.

Everyday push notifications, such as those for bus ETAs or student ID card scans, can help too. Jebens explained, “Those notifications remind the parents to use the app because, even if they don’t open My Ride K-12, they get that notification from us that their bus is running late.” Since introducing this feature, the district estimates that the time spent communicating with parents about an incident or late bus has been reduced by 90%.

BHBL also encourages parents to use My Ride K-12 by offering extra support. Hitrick said, “We troubleshoot for them before we send them to Tyler support for help. When they know we’re well-versed in the app, that makes them feel more comfortable using it.” Both districts also include resources for parents on their department web pages, such as instructional documents and FAQs.

At Sherwood, Jebens has found that once parents download My Ride K-12 and see the benefits, they make good use of that resource. “The parents really like it because they get the information when they want it. They can look up their kid’s route at 9:00 in the morning or 9:00 at night,” he said. Beyond the convenience of on-demand information, My Ride K-12 can help give parents peace of mind about their student’s safety. For example, when the app is used in conjunction with scan cards and GPS, parents can check the app to see when and where their student scans on and off the bus.

“Just the ease of it puts their mind at ease,” said Hitrick. And when parents feel confident their student is where they should be, that’s one less reason to call the transportation department.

A Connected Parent Communication Solution

Tyler Technologies’ My Ride K-12 web and mobile app can help ensure your students never miss the bus again and support parents’ peace of mind. This portal allows parents and students to access their secure data for bus stop location, route, and pickup time at the touch of a button. When your district’s buses are equipped with hardware such as Tyler Drive or Telematic GPS, My Ride K-12 can use GPS geolocation to let users know when to expect their bus each day.

To learn more about Tyler’s software and parent communication solutions, register for their upcoming webinar.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Tips & Tricks: Drive Adoption & Use of Parent Communication Apps appeared first on School Transportation News.

Mitch Honey’s workday starts at 6am with a quick 60-second commute from door to door.

His “office” at the Ferndale School District, WA is the garage, where he’s been six years since he first walked through the doors as a mechanic. Ever since, his job has been to keep the district’s fleet running smoothly.

Ferndale is a small town of about 16,000 nestled in the Pacific Northwest – “About as northwest as you can get in the country, aside from Alaska,” he said – and just 15 minutes from the Canadian border.

“I’ve turned wrenches since I was 12,” he said, fixing up quads and farm equipment, learning the ins and outs of mechanics on the dairy farm where he first started working.

By 17, he was deep in the world of diesel engines, handling trucks, tractors and just about anything else with a motor.

Now, with the responsibility of being shop foreman on his shoulders, he finds himself in a new chapter of his life. And all that experience has prepared him for the job he has now.

Mitch, who notes that the district is “literally 60 seconds from my front door,” starts each workday at 6am, which helps him keep his day organized, just like his shop. Ferndale has 52 buses and more than 80 vehicles in total, and each needed regular care.

One of his first major projects as shop foreman was on the computer, not under the hood of a bus, was helping to introduce Servicefinder, Transfinder’s award-winning fleet maintenance and inventory management software, to the district. Servicefinder is another tool in Mitch’s shop, designed to streamline his team’s work.

Before Servicefinder, Mitch spent countless hours with a pen, paper and calculator, manually tracking the mileage and service schedules for each vehicle.
Servicefinder had changed everything, he said. Now, with the click of a button, he can see the health of the entire fleet, track parts and generate reports.

“It’s been a time-saver and it’s been a money-saver. The money that you save with parts inventory management, that is huge,” he said. “I’m still working on parts inventory because we have a gigantic parts inventory, half of which is useless because it’s outdated. I can look at that I have in there and say, ‘I haven’t used this in 24 months. Cool, we can toss it.’”

That’s thanks to Servicefinder.

Mitch said selecting Servicefinder is one of the best decisions the department has made. The automation gives him time to focus on bigger problems, like that “lemon bus” that keeps giving them trouble or the outdated parts cluttering their inventory.

The district already had a relationship with Transfinder, utilizing Transfinder’s award-winning Routefinder PLUS to create safe and efficient routes, Tripfinder to manage field trips and Viewfinder, which provides unlimited users the ability to monitor the day-to-day operations of the transportation department and look up routing information.

Despite that relationship, Mitch did his own research for fleet maintenance software. Servicefinder ticked all the boxes Mitch was looking for.

“It has automated service tracking with mileage tracking,” he said. “Having automated mile tracking, service tracking and parts inventory was huge. “And then report generating, this was the last thing I really wanted because at the end of the year I should be able to go in and know this bus cost me this much money. Having the ability to just generate a report that says, ‘You spent this much from this date to this date’ and this many man hours – these are the biggest things that I wanted to have.”

Thanks to an efficient operation, Mitch ends most days early in the afternoon.

Mitch is grateful for his former boss and mentor, Mike Burrous, whom he learned a lot about running a shop from. Now, as the one in charge, he’s determined to honor that legacy, running the shop with the same precision and care.

Servicefinder is helping him to do just that.

And it’s played a role in improving his quality of life, closing out his day at 2:30pm, to return home to his wife and baby girl.

“I can’t complain about my schedule,” he said.

Learn more at www.transfinder.com.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Servicefinder, As Critical a Tool in This Mechanic’s Belt as a Wrench appeared first on School Transportation News.

Surveys can be tricky things. If you don’t ask questions, you don’t receive criticism. But you don’t even receive constructive feedback.

Did you know Transfinder has created a free tool embedded in the award-winning Routefinder PLUS routing solution that makes it easy for districts to conduct their own surveys? It’s called Formfinder and it’s far more unique and useful than free survey tools out there because it allows you to tailor your survey geographically or isolate the results based on a certain region.

For example, you may find that concerns being voiced are not districtwide but from one area and as a result there may be a deeper reason for those concerns.

At Transfinder we are constantly conducting surveys, even providing enticements like a gift card to encourage people to provide their honest answers to questions. If you’ve attended any of our webinars or appearances at national or state association conferences, you’ve heard our President and CEO, Antonio Civitella, say, “I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He’ll quickly add that it’s the only way we can get better.

Survey: How was your school opening?

We recently used Formfinder to survey our clients about how their school opening was. We are continuing to survey clients because there are parts of the country where school hasn’t opened yet. We asked if their opening was “The Best Ever,” “Good Overall,” “Some Hiccups/Minor Issues” or “Serious issues.”

Most of the responses, which came from districts across the country, were that most openings were “The Best Ever” or “Good Overall.”

“This was our best year yet,” said Diane Spurlock, transportation director at Indian Hill Exempted Village School District in Cincinnati, Ohio. “Every year I learn and implement more of the Routefinder PLUS features. Your products are greatly appreciated. There is a lot to it but I love being able to check and sort out my information in so many different ways. This is what made for a great opening day.”

Wes Alexander, director of transportation at Henderson County Schools in Kentucky, had a similar experience.

“Since we upgraded to PLUS last year, our routing has been more efficient and has helped tremendously with smooth days,” he said. Besides Routefinder PLUS, the driver app Wayfinder and field trip solution Tripfinder contributed to the smooth opening.

Was this your school’s experience this school opening?

Routefinder PLUS

Andrew Strack, transportation secretary at East Noble School Corp. in Indiana, said this was the best school opening he’s experienced.

“Making changes to routes, adding students and stops were quick and easy,” he said. “This is my first year in the job of routing and I couldn’t believe how well it went.”

SEO = Safety, Efficiency and Optimization

Dale Wagner, director of transportation at Concord Community Schools in Michigan, said he faced challenges prior to the start of school.

“We lost a driver due to retirement,” Wagner said, yet with Routefinder PLUS, he was “able to eliminate and combine his route into others completely.”

Wayfinder and Infofinder i

Craig Henson, coordinator of transportation at Tuscaloosa County Schools in Alabama, noted that “Transfinder products provided a wide array of tools and resources to handle all of the logistics necessary for opening school and being prepared for transporting 12,500-plus students. Safety, efficiency and optimization were three key tools that helped in this.”

SEO – Safety, Efficiency and Optimization – are embedded in Transfinder’s suite of products. Henson mentioned beyond PLUS the importance of the driver app Wayfinder and Transfinder’s Infofinder i solution, which allows parents to quickly access their child’s bus information.

Jeannie Del Rio, an administrative assistant with Murray City School District in Utah, also boasted of a good opening thanks to tools such as Routefinder PLUS and Infofinder i.

“We were able to create a new route, get students geocoded, send parent emails and transmit up-to-date information for Infofinder,” she said, noting that Transfinder’s resources, such as the twice-a-day hotlines, played a role in such a smooth opening. “I think the summer webinars helped me be prepared. I was able to get route and information in place prior to the onslaught of student registration!”

Stopfinder

Carla Stearns, transportation supervisor at Brookfield Local Schools in Ohio also pointed to the parent app Stopfinder as a huge help for school opening.

“Stopfinder has made communication with parents much better,” she said.

Viewfinder

Kelly Dicke, transportation coordinator at St. Mary’s City Schools in Ohio also mentioned how critical Viewfinder was for a seamless opening. Districts with Viewfinder provide unlimited users access to district transportation information, including bus schedules.

“Building secretaries were able to look up students to assist with afternoon bus numbers if the student wasn’t sure which bus to board,” Dicke said.

Are phone calls into your district from parents up, the same as last year, or down? Abby DeWeese’s response may surprise you.

Read what the routing supervisor at Alvin ISD in Texas had to say.

To learn how you can have the kind of opening these districts had – and many more – call 800-373-3609 or email marketing@transfinder.com with the word “Opening” in the subject line.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

The post Survey Says … The Right Solutions, Support and Staff = Smooth Opening appeared first on School Transportation News.

If you have not yet explored the integration of Cord Reel Power Stations for your buses, it’s an investment you really may want to consider for powering your engine block heaters. Between the convenience and ease of having power right where you need it, retractable cord reels keeping power cords from dangerously tripping up people in your parking lot, and the money saved using the PowerSaver option so the block heater isn’t running for hours on end – the cord reel power station has a ton of value.

Cord Reel Power Station

As winter approaches, many school bus fleets in colder climates turn to engine block heaters to ensure their engines start smoothly on cold mornings. It’s necessary to have power to run these heaters and that can get tricky inside a large parking lot or outside the bus garage – unless you have cord reel power stations integrated into your plan. Whether mounted on a 6’ steel pole, a 3’ steel pole, a raised foundation, or a Jersey barrier, retractable cord reels can provide the power needed right at the bus. No more cables and cords running across the ground since the power will be provided right at the job site.

The industrial grade cord reel power station is fully configurable – from the number of cord reels, length of cord and mounting style, no matter what the layout is for your school bus fleet, the power station can be configured to ensure it’s exactly what your application calls for. Powder coated for durability and NEMA 4 cord reels provide reliability in even the harshest weather conditions for outdoor bus yards.

Convenient Power Where You Need It

Whether you are retrofitting an existing bus lot or designing a new bus garage in cold weather locations, finding the right power solution for engine block heaters should be part of the equation. Rather than running extension cords all over the parking lot to bring the power to the bus, cord reel power stations mean the power is already right where it’s needed.

Retractable cord reels, relatively close to the bus, means there is no need for extension cords and engine block heaters can safely be powered right at the job site. Industrial 20 Amp rated, NEMA 4X industrial cord reels provide everything you need and meet requirements with a UL 508A rated junction box, GFCI protection and additional safety features – all conveniently located nearby.

Safety First

School bus parking lots and garages are bustling environments where safety is a top priority. With buses constantly moving in and out, mechanics performing routine maintenance, and various electrical tools and equipment in use, it’s crucial to minimize hazards. One often overlooked aspect of safety in these areas is the proper management of extension cords. Retractable extension cords offer a practical solution that not only improves safety but also enhances efficiency in these busy spaces.

Traditional extension cords, when not managed properly, can create a number of safety risks in school bus parking lots and garages: tripping hazards, electrical hazards, vehicle damage and operational inefficiency are just a few. Here’s how retractable extension cords can contribute to a safer and more efficient environment:

1. Eliminating Tripping Hazards: With a retractable cord reel, the cord is automatically wound up and stored when not in use, keeping it off the floor and out of the way. This greatly reduces the risk of trips and falls in the garage or parking lot.
2. Reducing Wear and Tear: By keeping cords stored safely inside a reel, retractable extension cords are less likely to be damaged by vehicles or foot traffic. Damaged or frayed extension cords are a common cause of electrical accidents. This prolongs the life of the cord and reduces the risk of electrical hazards.
3. Preventing Vehicle Damage: Since retractable cords are stored when not in use, there’s less chance of them being run over by buses or other vehicles. This helps prevent costly damage to both the cords and the vehicles and reduces subsequent repairs and downtime.
4. Enhancing Efficiency: Retractable extension cords are easy to deploy and retract, making them readily available when needed and quick to store when not in use. This saves time during maintenance tasks and helps keep the workspace organized.

Value in the PowerSaver

As winter approaches, many school districts turn to engine block heaters to ensure their bus engines start smoothly on cold mornings. An engine block heater warms the engine’s coolant or oil, which helps the engine reach its optimal operating temperature more quickly. This reduces the time it takes for the engine to heat up, minimizing cold-start wear and lowering emissions. While these heaters are essential for reducing engine wear and improving performance in low temperatures, they can also be a significant source of energy consumption as many bus garages leave their block heaters plugged in overnight. Leading to unnecessary energy consumption.

There can be significant environmental costs with prolonged engine block heater usage. If the electricity used to power the heaters comes from non-renewable sources like coal or natural gas, it directly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing the operating time of these heaters, we can lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, cutting down on the amount of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants released into the atmosphere.

Fortunately, using a PowerSaver timer with your engine block heater offers a simple yet effective way to cut down on energy use and save on electricity costs. Reducing electricity consumption using the PowerSaver can alleviate the strain on power grids, particularly during the winter months when energy demand peaks.

It has an easy to use interface and is fully programmable, allowing for multiple on/off settings so you can customize the heating schedule according to your needs. The thermostat feature allows the system to stay off entirely until the outdoor temperature drops to a low enough setting to turn on. It’s also extremely durable, rated for outdoor use and can withstand cold temperatures.

Without the PowerSaver, an engine block heater may run for hours before it’s actually needed. Depending on the heater’s power rating, this could mean using anywhere from 300 to 1,500 watts per hour. For example, if your block heater consumes 1,000 watts and is left on for 10 hours every night, it’s using 10 kWh per day. Over a month that’s 300 kWh, which can lead to a noticeable increase in the energy bill. This simple adjustment results in a 70% reduction in energy consumption, translating to substantial savings on your electricity bill.

A cord reel power station PowerSaver timer provides options to program specific times for the power to turn on and off, ensuring it only runs when needed. Most diesel bus engines only need 2-4 hours of heating before they are ready to start, even in extremely cold weather. By setting the PowerSaver to the proper day and time, it will activate just a few hours before the bus route is to begin, significantly reducing energy usage.

Reducing energy usage not only saves you money but also has a positive impact on the environment. Lower energy consumption means fewer greenhouse gas emissions, as less electricity needs to be generated. If more school bus garages adopted this practice, the cumulative effect could lead to a significant reduction in the carbon footprint associated with engine block heaters. Not only can diesel exhaust from idling pollute the air in and around the bus, it can also enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows. Consequently, optimizing block heater usage with the PowerSaver can help contribute to a more stable and cleaner energy system.

Conclusion

Looking for power and cord management solutions for school bus garages in extreme weather areas can be daunting. Knowing that an inexpensive cord reel system is likely to have a shorter shelf life and higher failure rates, companies are looking to reduce their down time and consider a more robust option like an industrial cord reel power station. Ensuring your investment provides the most robust solution can be easy with KH Industries. They are more than happy to help you develop the right solution for your specific school bus garage application and guide you through the project every step of the way ensuring safety, value and convenience.

Contact KH Industries today.

The post Get Convenience, Safety & Value with a Cord Reel Power Station appeared first on School Transportation News.

This content is brought to you by the Propane Education & Research Council. 

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced awards for round three of its clean school bus rebates. As with previous rounds, most of the funding went to electric school buses. To date, the EPA program has allocated more than $2.8 billion for 8,427 electric school buses and 440 low-emissions propane buses.

While the five-year program justifiably aims to replace the nation’s aging, dirty diesel buses, electric models should not be the default replacement of choice. Research shows that more affordable options can lead to lowering emissions faster.

School buses travel more than 3 billion miles each year, providing transportation to more than 25 million American children every day. The rebates, therefore, have the potential to make a huge impact on air quality and decarbonization by replacing existing school buses powered by diesel. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program allows applicants to request battery-electric, propane or compressed natural gas buses.

Eliminating diesel-powered buses is a vital goal. Diesel fuel has a high carbon intensity, and when burned, emits ground-level air pollution that is unhealthy to breathe. Electric vehicles address some of the problem, but don’t actually solve the climate change issues we face today.

Unfortunately, the U.S. electric grid is not as clean as most people think. While renewable energy is being added at a considerable pace, fossil fuels are still being used to meet peak energy demand. The average carbon intensity of the U.S. electric grid is roughly 137 grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule (gCO2eq/MJ). In comparison, conventional propane has a carbon intensity of 79 gCO2eq/MJ, and renewable propane made from the cover crop camelina has a carbon intensity of only 20 gCO2eq/MJ.

Leaving conventional diesel behind is a good move, and it can happen today with a combination of clean energy resources.

Rebate applicants and the EPA should also consider cost in their deliberations. At $375,000 each, electric buses with charging infrastructure cost about three times more than a propane-powered bus. The cost-prohibitive nature of electric models means school districts may only be able to convert a small portion of their fleets, especially in disadvantaged communities where budgets are often constrained. By choosing propane-powered buses, districts can replace three times the number of diesels to lower CO2, NOx, SOx and particulate matter.

School districts nationwide are realizing that converting traditional fleets to EV is no simple solution. The environmental benefits are less clear, and the grid is simply not ready to service the load. As journalist H.L. Menken once said, “For every complex problem, there’s a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 60% of U.S. electricity still comes from fossil fuels. The cleanliness of the grid varies by state, so it’s important to understand how electricity is being produced regionally.

While major investments are being made in renewable energy, the transition is not happening at a fast enough pace to keep up with load growth. Transmission infrastructure delays and permitting requirements are two major challenges that must be overcome to accelerate grid decarbonization. Grid operators have announced concerns about being able to reliably serve demand due to the intermittent nature of renewables and the retirement of older, dirtier power plants.

Eliminating things like diesel fuel because clean, affordable alternatives are available is a responsible step. This is the wide path ahead — using a variety of ever-cleaner technologies to match the daunting energy-intensive challenge. We applaud EPA’s Clean School Bus Program and hope to see the agency’s awards embrace a holistic view.

Visit propane.com to learn why propane school buses are the smart choice for today’s student transportation needs.

The views expressed are those of the content sponsor and do not reflect those of School Transportation News.

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