The school bus is evolving. With the integration of AI, data analytics and adaptive learning technologies, school buses are no longer vehicles for student transport alone they’re becoming smart and connected learning environments.

By reimagining school transportation operations, school districts can enhance safety, drive operational efficiency and engage their communities in new and meaningful ways.

Imagine a school bus that adapts to traffic in real time, monitors student behavior for safety, connects students to personalized learning content via Wi-Fi and provides
predictive insights to transportation directors and their teams. This is no longer science fiction it’s the new direction school transportation is headed, powered by AI.

Today’s cutting-edge tools are creating a more intelligent, impactful ride. AI-enabled routing software analyzes traffic, weather, construction and student addresses to create the most time and fuel efficient routes. The integration of onboard tablets allows for turn-by-turn directions and student manifests. These systems adapt in real time, helping buses avoid delays and improve on-time performance, while also helping to cut fuel use, reduce emissions and improve operational costs.

Onboard video systems on school buses aren’t new, but the use of AI software is. Most video systems offer software to help enhance detection of unsafe behavior like bullying or fights. Real-time alerts allow quick intervention to potentially prevent a situation from escalating. Looking at specific areas of interest on the school bus is a real need, and this can be done with enhanced software tools. Hours of recorded video footage and making time to review it effectively is an overwhelming task. But AI software could help tackle this challenge sooner than you realize.

Student tracking and parent communication is mission critical in a modern school transportation system. Parents and school officials are notified instantly when a student boards or exits the bus, bolstering both accountability and peace of mind.

Personalized onboard learning is more important than ever thanks to Wi-Fi. School districts can offer a variety of online learning platforms on mobile devices during school bus commute, turning down time into a valuable part of the learning day. Keep in mind the E-Rate funding for this technology is still available. I’d recommend taking action today to secure it. We don’t know what the future holds for the federal program.

Other connected technology solutions include predictive maintenance and vehicle health paired with AI. This technology can forecast mechanical issues before they become costly failures. Fleet managers receive alerts about maintenance needs, from brake wear to battery life, allowing for proactive servicing. Solution benefits included reduced breakdowns, extended vehicle lifespan and lower overall maintenance costs.

AI-assisted advanced driver systems (ADAS) is the future already realized. ADAS alerts drivers about lane departures, hard braking or following distances, helping reduce crashes. Additionally, AI-generated reports help with training and performance reviews. Fewer crashes mean fewer insurance claims. The other outcomes could be improved driver retention, safer driving habits and reduced stress.

Fleets should consider utilizing more data-driven decision making in their operations. AI platforms collect and analyze transportation data to identify trends, inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Dashboards visualize everything from ridership to route efficiency to behavior incidents, helping administrators make informed decisions. Improved operations, better budgeting and resource allocation allow for stronger alignment with academic goals.

By leveraging AI and emerging technologies, school districts are turning the daily commute into a strategic asset.

As technology adoption increases, data security is also vital. IT departments are now highly involved with technology purchasing for school transportation. As a result, IT professionals are requesting secured storage and enterprise level software solutions due to the increased issue of school data breaches. These types of solutions are significantly more expensive than the traditional lower budget solutions we are accustomed to.

The road to and from school can be a dynamic, data-rich, student-focused part of the educational journey. This transformation goes beyond efficiency it enhances student safety, supports learning and empowers transportation teams with the tools they need to succeed. This is a future to get excited about!

Editor’s Note: Reprinted from the July 2025 issue of School Transportation News.

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RENO, Nev. —  Transfinder took home best hardware, software and safety technology awards for the second consecutive year and RIDE won best green technology for the third year in a row, as judged by STN EXPO West attendees during the trade show held July 14 and 15.

The 153 attendees who cast votes in the fourth annual STN EXPO Innovation Choice Awards represented a rise in participation from last year’s 125 votes. Exhibitor and guest votes were not counted. Eligible voters represented school districts, state or federal organizations, Head Start agencies, and school bus contractors.

To be eligible for an entry, participating trade show vendors had to introduce a new, market-ready product between January 2024 and July 2025. STN EXPO attendees voted by scanning a QR code at participating company booths.

The Schenectady, New York, company received 114 votes for Best Safety Technology, 123 votes for Best Hardware and 121 votes for Best Software. It was the fourth year in a row that Transfinder won the Best Software category, the third consecutive year winning Best Hardware, and the second year it took all three categories.

Transfinder entered the three products in all three categories.

Stopfinder Digital Card ID turns a student’s Android or IOS cellphone into their ID card. “This advancement eliminates the need for substituting RFID cards and/or replacing lost costs. This technology augments Transfinder’s parent app Stopfinder, providing parents peace of mind that their child made the bus and tracking the bus’s location,” Transfinder stated in its nomination.

Meanwhile, Transfinder Enterprise includes everything from route visibility to attendance routing, posts to student lookup. Transfinder’s Wayfinder ETA dashboard and real-time capability can now be shared with school building personnel and other stakeholders in Viewfinder. This capability enhances communication. Additionally, using the driver app, Wayfinder, the most efficient route based on student riders can be generated.

“For example, a late bus can have different students riding different days depending on the activities they participate in,” Transfinder stated. “When students scan their ID cards as they get on the late bus, for example, the safest and most efficient route is created for the driver.”

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Users can post on any record type, such as student, trip or vehicle to facilitate a conversation around that record. The information is then accessible across all Transfinder solutions.

Transfinder said its map incidents solution tackles a growing concern of students crossing by adding a functionality in Routefinder PLUS to “view where students not just cross the street to get on the bus but what streets they cross on their way to the bus. With PLUS, users can embed trip and street data and logic into their maps and trips, making it easier for routers to design safer trips.”

Transfinder noted, adding the data is then viewed on Wayfinder.

Meanwhile, BYD electric school bus spinoff RIDE was unopposed last month in the green technology category. The manufacturer was attendees’ choice for the third consecutive year, this time for its blade battery (below). The manufacturer won the same category last year for its Type C “Creator” and in 2023 for its Type A “Achiever.” The lithium iron phosphate blade battery features a direct cell-to-pack design, utilizing thin “blade-like” cells that eliminate the need for conventional modules.

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RENO, Nev. — In a four-hour seminar on routing, consultant Kerry Somerville spoke to attendees at STN EXPO West about everything from implementing routing software and the RFP process to training and using the software.

Whether attendees came to the class Friday to become up to date on the offerings after retirement, or because they were a school bus driver being told to route themselves, or even due to being the director of safety and wanting to see the benefits of routing, all left with a deeper understanding of route specifics.

“I’m not here to talk bad about [any company], but I want you guys to be aware, to ask questions about what you’re buying and how you’re implementing it,” said Somerville owner of Transportation Planning Solutions as well as a transportation supervisor for Show Low Unified School District in Arizona.

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Somerville explained that the RFP is the district’s opportunity to specify exactly what they want and need from software. “Designate who’s going to run the software,” he shared, adding that there needs to be a backup in case that person is unavailable.

He noted that when creating the RFP, one needs to be realistic and not ask for things that aren’t possible. Similarly, he noted it’s important to be prepared to pay for solutions that meet the requirements being asked for. He also advised not asking for good references, which any company can provide. Instead, he suggested asking about failed implementations and why they occurred.

Somerville noted that a phased implementation is a better approach, rather than implementing technology all at once. And while some districts have the expectations that the lowest bid must be accepted, that may mean they don’t get the features or functions they want or need.

One attendee shared his operation is in search of its third routing software.

When discussing what is wanted versus what is needed, Somerville noted that the bandwidth of people and the size of operation play important roles. Ask yourself, what is your end goal, he noted, adding that sometimes it’s not necessarily about implementing a new product but training on a current one.

Once new routing software is implemented, the next stage is training. He noted that five days of intense training may seem like it’s the best approach, but when it gets to day five, employees might have forgotten what you learned on day one. Instead, he advised districts engage in continuous ongoing training, citing the importance of creating a training plan.

He also said training is both the vendor and district responsibility and should include routes. If a district is implementing remote training, he said it’s important to determine if it will really work for the team.

Other aspects of implementation include student data and working with one’s IT department to make sure the nightly download is accurate. He also advised working with the district’s management team to ensure that student data is accurate and highlighted the importance of how good address data is critical.

Plus, he asked, how does your software handle changes such as adding students and routes, changing bus stop locations and deleting information? “There is no such thing as a perfect map,” he said.

He outlined pros and cons to the various type of maps available.

Maps change, Somerville explained, and there needs to be away to update them. Plus, he added that data affects the quality of routes. For instance, a left turn may have a greater penalty than a right turn, adding that UPS trucks in the U.S. are programmed to minimize or avoid left turns due to safety and efficiency benefits. On the other hand, being able to adjust speed data via software can make a significant difference in the accuracy of your runs. Other data that affect routing include attendance boundaries, hazards and walk zones.

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Somerville said optimization should be used as a tool, not a solution. He said every year there’s a big story about a school district being promised to save millions of dollars with optimization and then it failed day one of school start up. He said all data elements affect optimization. He advised testing the runs — everything from timing, routing, time spent at each stop, and speed — the software products prior to the first day of school.

Overall, when using software, he advised using it every day as practice makes perfect. He said he finds that most school districts only use about one-tenth of the function that the software can do. “Keep the data fresh,” he said, adding to avoid the “this doesn’t work trap.”

This, he said, is why it’s important to get what you want in the RFP process.

He concluded by urging the audience to not give up. “Learning new software, new ways of doing things can be a challenge, difficult and frustrating but the reward is at the end when you can provide the answers people need quickly and easily,” he said.

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