School Districts Use GPS to Keep Kids Safe

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/qH1GJ)
As surely as fall comes each year bringing crisp air and colorful leaves, kids begin boarding buses each day to begin another year of school. And no doubt there will be reports of children left all night in buses after falling asleep and a driver neglecting to check the bus before parking or a child forgetting to get off at a particular stop. This could be a thing of the past as school systems invest in new GPS tracking technology that records students getting on and off the buses.

A Chicago suburban school district put a student tracking system into place this year that allows a transportation supervisor to track when and where each student got on and off their respective buses. Every child carries or wears an ID card that was assigned the first day of preschool or kindergarten and as he or she enters or exits the bus, there is a quiet beep and a flash of green light confirming that a child has entered or exited a school bus.



GPS tracking systems offer peace of mind for parents, reduce liability for schools, and most importantly, keep children safe. The system also allows a school  supervisor to see what time the bus left school and where it is on its route. While current GPS technology only allows school officials to track  students, eventually parents will be able to log into the system and check on the location of their children. This system allows parents to give students a little more freedom, but also the ability to check on them if necessary.

The cost for the system is reasonable. The Chicago school district paid $16,000 to outfit ten buses, including the ID cards for the students. This cost is minimal compared to the benefits, and parents might well be willing to share a portion of this cost once the system proves its worth. The GPS tracking system for students is an investment that is well worth it in this day and age. A school district would be wise to purchase the system, which would put parents’ minds at rest, protect students and allow schools to provide parents with instant accountability of their children. As this idea catches on, no doubt many schools will embrace this technology.