Bethel Local to pilot BusRide routing software to give parents live ETAs, district staff say

Jake Wilde, the district’s transportation staff member, told the Bethel Local School Board that the district plans to pilot BusRide routing software to reduce routing time, improve bus tracking and give parents live ETAs.

Wilde said the vendor’s package is an “all‑in‑one” system that combines routing, GPS tracking and a parent app. “The routing software was very comprehensive… it will display all the driver route sheets,” Wilde said, adding the system updates location data frequently and “will tell me where a school bus is” with what he described as a two‑second ping rate.

Board members and staff focused on three operational features: a parent app that provides ETAs and notifications when a bus is delayed; driver tablets that are locked to routing functions so drivers cannot use other apps while operating the vehicle; and an automatic nightly import from the district’s student information system (DASL) so new enrollments flow into routes without manual entry.

Staff outlined key contract and implementation points discussed at the meeting. Wilde said the vendor supplies and maintains tablets under the contract, with staged replacements over time; he said the vendor will replace roughly 25% of tablets annually and provide a full refresh on a multiyear cycle. District staff said they negotiated a multiyear agreement with a 60‑day cancellation window and no cancellation fee. Board members heard several annual cost figures during the discussion (staff referenced negotiated annual costs in the low‑to‑mid tens of thousands and said the technology line had been budgeted at about $65,000), and staff said they would finalize pricing and return with formal contract language for approval.

Wilde recommended a phased rollout: if the contract is signed promptly, he said, software setup could begin in early September with a pilot of routes by mid‑ to late October. He also described planned town halls and driver training during the pilot so parents and drivers can sign up and get familiar with the app and tablets.

Board members asked about privacy and field trips. Wilde said routing details can be hidden from public view while the system still provides parents with an ETA for their child’s assigned stop; he also said field trips would be digitized for drivers but not publicly tracked in the same way as regular routes.

The superintendent said the software would allow the district to measure ridership more precisely and reduce phone calls from parents asking, “Where is the bus?” Wilde said the system’s data could help the district build more efficient routes, free up seats where capacity exists, and better plan bus assignments.

Next steps listed by staff included finalizing and returning a contract for board review, scheduling a pilot, and organizing parent outreach and driver training during the fall semester.