The goal of new technology on board Osceola County school buses is to keep students safer, and it will help keep tabs on where your kids are before and after school.When students get on the bus, theyll use their student ID to scan in. Then their information will appear on a tablet, notifying the bus driver that theyre on the right bus.Zach Downes, the community relations specialist with Osceola Schools' transportation department said having students scan on and off will help the district build routes. Our student ridership program is a new program that were launching within the school district, so we have a better idea of where kids are getting on and off the buses, Downes said. Itll also alert bus drivers if a child tries to get on the wrong bus or off at the wrong stop.Its definitely an extra safety measure because kids will get on the wrong bus at the beginning of the school year just because of confusion, or theyll want to go home with their friends or theyre trying to run away from home, so this will help crack down on a lot of things weve dealt with in the past, Downes said.The technology will also allow the district to get a better tally of how many bus riders they have which translates to more accurate funding from the state.Downes said the technology cost about $300,000 and has been installed on all 400 school district buses, including the spares.Itll be used for the first time on the first day of school on Aug. 10. If a student doesnt have an ID card, they can sign in on the tablet using their school ID number. If they dont have that, they wont be turned away at first, but it will eventually be required.

The goal of new technology on board Osceola County school buses is to keep students safer, and it will help keep tabs on where your kids are before and after school.

When students get on the bus, theyll use their student ID to scan in. Then their information will appear on a tablet, notifying the bus driver that theyre on the right bus.

Zach Downes, the community relations specialist with Osceola Schools' transportation department said having students scan on and off will help the district build routes.

Our student ridership program is a new program that were launching within the school district, so we have a better idea of where kids are getting on and off the buses, Downes said.

Itll also alert bus drivers if a child tries to get on the wrong bus or off at the wrong stop.

Its definitely an extra safety measure because kids will get on the wrong bus at the beginning of the school year just because of confusion, or theyll want to go home with their friends or theyre trying to run away from home, so this will help crack down on a lot of things weve dealt with in the past, Downes said.

The technology will also allow the district to get a better tally of how many bus riders they have which translates to more accurate funding from the state.

Downes said the technology cost about $300,000 and has been installed on all 400 school district buses, including the spares.

Itll be used for the first time on the first day of school on Aug. 10.

If a student doesnt have an ID card, they can sign in on the tablet using their school ID number.

If they dont have that, they wont be turned away at first, but it will eventually be required.

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New technology on Osceola school buses expected to keep kids safer - WESH 2 Orlando