RSU 40 rolls out bus-tracking system as driver vacancies and data issues slow deployment

RSU 40 transportation staff reported a staged deployment of a GPS-based bus-tracking system and said it was already active on two routes while the district works through data and staffing challenges.

At the district’s Oct. 16 meeting, Brian (transportation and facilities staff member) said the district put a fifth Waldenborough bus into service and has the tracking product active on Bus 2 and Bus 3, with Bus 3 driven by a newly trained driver. "The usability of this, the drop down screens with all the critical data... It updates every five seconds," Brian said, calling the product “pretty awesome.”

The district said it had hoped to import student ride data from Infinite Campus but found many records inaccurate, forcing staff member Sarah Davis to enter much information manually. That extra work has slowed rollouts: staff described a staggered deployment of driver tablets and parent apps starting with Miller School and moving school-by-school so lessons learned can shorten later deployments.

Why it matters: the tracking tool shows estimated pickup times and contact details in one place, which staff said reduces phone traffic and improves parent communication. Julia (staff member) described a parent calling to ask a bus location and being told, "Just look at it right there — it's almost at your house." Staff said the product also holds contact information so dispatchers don’t need to switch to Infinite Campus to reach families.

Staff cautioned the system’s benefits will depend on parents keeping contact information current in Infinite Campus and on completing the district’s database for future automatic rollovers of students between grade levels. Maggie Massengale, identified as Camden’s transportation director in conversation with district staff, was cited by staff as a peer who has faced similar deployment issues in her district.

Operational and budget impacts: the district reported one open bus-driver vacancy in Warren, one vacancy for the MCST bus currently contracted out to Loose Transportation, and a separate "friendship" route driven by an employee who is also the Miller School head custodian, David St. Peter. Officials said outsourcing routes is significantly more expensive than in-house drivers and is the primary near-term budget pressure in transportation.

Fleet maintenance and replacement: staff said a new Waldenborough bus will arrive next month to replace an older vehicle (Bus 17). The district described a mixed recent replacement pattern — one new bus and five vans purchased in the prior year — and noted some older vans have experienced transmission failures. The district’s informal target is to keep buses under 10 years old and vans between five and seven years, though actual retirements account for mileage and route length.

What’s next: staff plan to continue staggered rollouts (tablets on buses, then parent app invitations per school), to work through data cleanup in Infinite Campus, and to prioritize hiring drivers to reduce outsourced runs. Officials said the district will ask parents to update contact and address information annually so the tracking system can function as intended.

Ending: officials characterized the current phase as early but promising: "The juice is gonna be worth the squeeze," Brian said, summarizing staff expectations that upfront data work and staggered deployment will pay off in reduced calls and better route visibility for parents and staff.