Cambridge Schools outline upgrades to bus tracking, vendor oversight after repeated problems for students with disabilities

Cambridge Public Schools officials told the Special Education & Student Support Subcommittee on April 10, 2025, that the district is upgrading bus-tracking technology and stepping up vendor oversight after repeated problems transporting students with disabilities.

District staff described three near-term technology changes and management steps: moving toward purchasing the Athena upgrade from EduLog for route planning and reporting on Eastern Bus routes; implementing NRT’s Beacon Connect software and a Beacon Connect family app (now in a pilot of 34 families) for door-to-door services; and holding monthly operational meetings with NRT and closer, standardized monthly bus checks at schools. Damon Smith, interim chief operations officer for the Cambridge Public Schools, said the Athena system should improve route planning, data reporting and integration with Google Maps; he added the district is “moving towards purchasing” the upgrade.

Why it matters: Transportation for students with disabilities runs year-round and involves a large vendor fleet. Smith told the subcommittee the district runs about 35 Eastern Bus yellow buses and more than 80 NRT vehicles on a typical day — “over a hundred vehicles operating” total — and that inconsistent GPS and communication have been a major source of family complaints.

What staff said: Desiree Phillips, executive director of special education, summarized district work to date. The special education office provided professional development for bus drivers and…