Bus routes for the 2023-2024 school year have been updated and released on the Marietta City Schools District website.
This will be the first year the district will be using TransACT’s Travel Tracker, which is a software aimed at increasing efficiency of bus routes and making them as safe as possible. It also will have an app which allows tracking and communication between the school system to parents regarding delays or issues with busses.
Darrell Prim, Facilities and Transportation Manager for Marietta City Schools hopes this will help to reduce calls by giving parents’ the ability to know where students are and have an idea about what time they will be home. “We generally get around 20 calls a day from parents just wondering where bus routes are or if there are delays. This app will eventually allow them to see where there students are at and we can push out messages to the family in case of delays or emergencies.”
Routes often change, especially during the first month or two as children are added or removed. This software will allow these changes to occur much quicker and easier.
Often these changes were especially difficult for substitute drivers as the routes were often unfamiliar to them. Now they will be given a tablet with the current route information preloaded on to it.
Prim expects that this technology will allow subs to have delayed routes less frequently than in previous year. “Once they select the route they are supposed to be filling in for, the program will tell them everything they need to know including what turns to take and where the stops are.”
Brad Silvus, Superintendent for Marietta City Schools, talked about how the overall goal is for this new software to streamline and improve the bussing process for everyone involved. “Getting kids to and from school, quickly and safely is a top priority for Marietta City Schools and this is going to have a huge impact in our ability to do so.”
The app should be live for families to download later this year. For families looking for more information on bus routes and updates on this process, you can find our transportation page here.