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District credits routing software with $113,000 salary savings, plans app rollout and bus purchases
Summary
Transportation staff said new routing software and an associated parent app reduced routes and saved roughly $113,000 in salary costs; the district plans to implement a parent stop‑finder app in July and is budgeting for new buses at $140,000–$145,000 each.
Transportation officials told the Hancock County School District Board of Trustees that the new routing software (Route Finder Plus) has allowed the district to optimize routes, eliminate seven routes so far and realize an estimated $113,000 in salary savings.
Transportation staff demonstrated the software’s mapping and optimization features for the board, showing how the system breaks down student counts, stops and routes by neighborhood and grade. A staff presenter said the district expects to be able to optimize additional routes as routing data is refined.
District staff also described a companion parent app, "Stop Finder," that will provide each parent with a code tied to their child and enable tracking of the bus and alerts about late buses. Staff said they plan to implement the parent app in July and that the software subscription runs on an annual contract.
On vehicle procurement, staff said a new school bus will cost approximately $140,000–$145,000 and that eliminating routes reduces overall fleet wear and long‑term replacement costs. The presenter said the district has removed seven older routes and is evaluating additional route consolidations, which will also reduce fuel and operating expenses.
Why this matters: routing optimization and parent notifications can reduce operating costs, improve safety and give parents real‑time information about bus arrivals.
Board members asked whether the system tracks speed or driver behavior; staff said camera and telematics data can be used as needed but that driver speed tracking had been turned off for the parent app presentation.
Ending: The district will implement the parent notification app in July, continue route optimization and incorporate cost savings from consolidated routes into next year’s transportation planning.
