PGCPS rolls out Chipmunk bus-tracking app for all students; district warns ETA may vary

Director Baldwin told the Operations, Budget & Fiscal Affairs Committee on Dec. 17 that Prince George's County Public Schools is completing a phased transition from Transfinder/StopFinder to the Bus Planner/Chipmunk ecosystem and expects all 85,000-plus students and families to have access to Chipmunk after the current rollout.

Baldwin demonstrated the district Chipmunk portal and said key features include a live map, ETA summaries, custom alerts, and a feedback button routed to the vendor and transportation department. She stressed that families must use the same email address they use for their ParentVUE account when they register in Chipmunk so their children's data will sync.

"We have a very good video tutorial. It's about three minutes long, but we now have it in Spanish as well as in English," Baldwin said, and noted translation and printed one-sheet brochures are available for community outreach.

Baldwin and Dr. Coleman cautioned that ETAs are triggered by buses crossing geofences and depend on driver adherence to run sheets; traffic and on-the-fly adjustments can cause ETA inconsistencies. "Parents still will be able to see the bus and track the bus, but there may be some minor glitches when it comes to the ETA portion of it," Baldwin said. She added parents will receive push notifications when the bus is nearing the stop.

Rollout timing: Baldwin said the district had been rolling bus lots in soft phases since September, with special-education routes first and comprehensive routes since Nov. 17. She told the committee the district plans a fuller rollout after the holiday break and a continued soft approach to ensure accuracy.

Community outreach: Baldwin invited PTAs and PTOs to host Chipmunk sessions through their school principals to help families register and offered multilingual materials and live demonstrations for parents.

What happens next: The district encouraged families to download Chipmunk, link it to ParentVUE, use available tutorials and, if they encounter missing routes after the rollout, contact transportation for follow-up.