‘Uber of School Buses’ rolls into Kansas City Public Schools
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - High-tech changes are coming to the buses for Kansas City Public Schools. The district entered a multi-million-dollar contract with California-based company Zum Transportation Services.
The changes have attracted bus drivers from all over the area. The head of Kansas City Zum, Jim Mitchell says the district is no longer dealing with a bus driver shortage. He said the benefits, guaranteed hours, and updated buses were a major draw for drivers.
“We are a tech company specializing in student transportation,” Mitchell said.
The company started in California in 2014 focusing on tech. A few years later it started adding its technology to school buses. Now, student transportation services are spreading across the country. Kansas City and Omaha are the first Midwest cities to bring the technology to their schools.
The new buses not only have air conditioning and seat belts, but they are each equipped with a tablet near the driver.
Students will have a badge they check in and out with on the tablet. The information will be available to parents from the Zum app. An app only available for parents to see.
“Parents can log onto the app and find out where that bus is at on its route and how far away it is, Mitchell said. “They will get a text when its close and when it has arrived and notifications when their kid is on and off the bus.”
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The tablets will also map out the driver’s route and audibly give the driver directions.
“Before they were using paper, now our drivers can keep their eyes on the road, listen for the directions, and keep kids safe,” Mitchell said.
Chris Hamilton has been a school bus driver for seven years and said the air conditioning will change everyone’s mood.
“I used to come to work dry and leave soaking wet,” Hamilton said. “The kids would lie down in the back because the heat made them tired. Now, we can all be comfortable on a hot day.”
Hamilton said he always tries to learn the rider’s names throughout the school year, but he looks forward to the new technology helping him learn faster.
“When the student gets on the bus, they tap their badge on the tablet and it has the student’s name and picture,” Hamilton said. “From my experience, once the student knows you know their name, they’re not going to cut up as much.”
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