In today’s complex and fast-paced educational environment, student safety remains a top priority — especially when it comes to school transportation.
BusPlanner’s latest webinar, Making Student Transportation Safer With Technology, featured Scott Denton, Solutions Consultant at BusPlanner, and Brian Joyner, Director of Transportation at Union County Public Schools in North Carolina.
This session was packed with real-world insights on how technology can enhance student transportation safety by improving data quality, sharing relevant information with stakeholders, and tracking.
Existing Student Safety Challenges
Before leveraging technology for enhancing safety, Union County Public Schools faced several ongoing challenges:
- Limited Real-Time Visibility: Without live monitoring, issues such as distracted driving, rolling stop signs, or speeding could go unnoticed until after an incident.
- Inconsistent Equipment Placement: Variations in bus design meant cameras and other safety tools couldn’t always be installed in exactly the same location, which sometimes affected coverage.
- Reactive Rather Than Proactive Responses: Safety interventions often occurred after an accident or complaint, rather than in the moment.
Enhance Visibility With Real-Time Parent Communication
One of the most common concerns among parents and schools is the lack of real-time visibility into bus locations and student statuses. Brian highlighted that, “Parents want to know where the bus is and where their child is from pick-up to drop-off.”
Brian Joyner’s district addressed this challenge by introducing a robust parent app. While the technology worked well, onboarding parents was a hurdle; “The biggest part was teaching the parents how to use it. It’s a more robust app than what we had before. Parents weren’t used to all the capabilities that were now available to them,” shared Brian Joyner
Fortunately, tutorials and a cleaner setup process — such as using verified email addresses tied to the student information system — helped smooth that process.
Student Scanning Systems for Tracking
Often, the next step in safety is student scanning systems. Joyner highlighted that while student tracking is a valuable tool, implementing it successfully requires strategic planning, cross-department collaboration, and long-term resource commitments.
The Importance of Training
One of the biggest safety gains came from hiring dedicated safety personnel. Joyner’s team includes:
- A full-time safety officer who preps and trains new drivers for success.
- A part-time safety officer, a retired highway patrol first sergeant, who assists in accident investigations and conducts stop reviews.
These roles have led to a measurable decrease in accidents and provide immense credibility when communicating with parents and law enforcement. They also offer post-incident coaching to improve driver performance, not punish mistakes.
AI Dashcams for Monitoring and Proactive Coaching
Union County has also deployed AI-powered dashcams that monitor behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, and rolling stop signs. These cameras are portable and can be easily moved between buses to address specific incidents or performance concerns.
Most importantly, the data is used to coach drivers, not penalize them.
Some schools even use the live feed to monitor disruptive student behavior in real time, adding another layer of protection and accountability.
High Quality Data and Record-Keeping
Throughout the webinar, one theme kept surfacing: data quality is everything. From app accuracy to student tracking to DVR reports, clean, accurate data underpins every technological improvement.
Takeaways
Technology is transforming student transportation; It’s about using the right systems to empower staff, increase parent trust, and most of all, keep students safe.
Whether it’s real-time tracking, mobile apps, or AI cameras, the key is thoughtful implementation backed by training, data, and communication. Union County’s experience is a strong example of how to do it right. Watch the complete webinar for more insights.
Contact us now to explore BusPlanner’s full suite of transportation solutions to modernize your fleet and improve student safety.
