The Rowan County Board approved purchasing transportation-routing software and necessary hardware from Tyler Incorporated for $130,672.

Administrators said the package includes routing software, tablets for buses and student ID cards; the district plans to integrate data from Infinite Campus and provide a parent portal so guardians can track bus ETAs. Presenters emphasized the cards function like lunch numbers and do not contain identifiable personal data; the district will still work through parental-permission language and implementation details before rollout, which staff estimated could begin in the spring.

Board members and staff discussed operational benefits: improved route efficiency, GPS tracking on each bus, and the ability for principals and parents to see a student’s bus location. Staff said the purchase was budgeted and that the vendor-run training process will continue. The board approved the purchase by voice vote.