School district rolls out new bus app

A new mobile app designed to help students and families who utilize St. Charles Parish Public Schools’ bus transportation is now available for download.

The app uses GPS to track the precise location of school buses in real time. It’s called “Where’s The Bus?”

Officials said by using this app, parents and caretakers will know if their child’s bus is running late in the morning or afternoon. They will also know when the bus is approaching the bus stop and when the bus is on its way home.

Teresa Brown, district administrator of ancillary services, said each year SCPPS transports 7,000 students to not just school but also to field trips, sports practices, and extracurricular activities.

“It’s a huge operation that runs days and nights,” she said of school district transportation. “There’s a huge level efficiency gained by having a system that’s working behind the scenes for you all the time.”

She said the new system will also allow bus drivers – as well as school office specialists – to have access to information about the students on the buses. If a child gets on the wrong bus, for example, the bus driver will be able to pull over and use their phone to immediately access the contact information for that student’s parents

“It’s really going to cut down on the call volumes we have right now,” Brown said, adding that last year and every year before parents and bus drivers all had to call the same call center for information on buses that were running late, students who got on wrong busses or other common transportation issues. “I’m excited that our parents will have this tool.”

The app is free for both Apple and Android Devices. To sign up, visit www.WheresTheBus.com and look for the “Parents” section on the left. Click on the “Set Up Account” button, and then select St. Charles Parish Public Schools from the drop down menu. After entering parent and student information, await further instructions that will sent to the registered email once all information has been validated.

“This puts everyone in a much better position to know the information in real time and to provide better service” Brown said. “We know parents are very excited about it, and they should be.”