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Board tables decision on paying for 'Here Comes the Bus' locator app, seeks demos and parent feedback
Summary
Yorktown board discussed a Synovia 'Here Comes the Bus' purchase (base ≈$10,500/yr plus ≈$3,000 add-on for ridership barcodes), flagged operational and logistical concerns about requiring students to swipe, and tabled the item pending demonstrations and parent input.
The Yorktown Community Schools board discussed but did not approve purchase of the Synovia “Here Comes the Bus” student-bus locator software, instead asking staff for demonstrations, a parent survey and feedback from transportation before deciding.
Board members reviewed a base annual price of about $10,500 for the app and an optional ridership-tracking add-on estimated at roughly $3,000. Staff warned that the ridership feature would require students to carry and scan barcodes—potentially by attaching an ID to backpacks—and that the swipe process could add time at stops and create follow-up calls when children were not scanned.
“I'm not sure the card option is worth the time,” a board member said, arguing younger students are likely to forget or lose cards and that reissuing them could be a recurring burden. A parent who spoke in favor of better location information said, “I do as a parent like to know where the bus is when we are on some of these rural routes,” and described using Life360 informally in the past to track long routes.
Board members debated implementation options: start with the base app and add ridership later, pilot scanning on selected routes, or offer the scanning feature only to families who opt in. One director noted the proposal appeared to be a five-year commitment under the vendor's standard terms, increasing the long-term cost beyond the headline annual figure.
Transportation logistics also surfaced: the board discussed how missed scans would be handled, whether routes or transportation staff would field parent inquiries, and the need for a single point of contact. Several members asked staff to contact other superintendents who had implemented the system to learn about common “hiccups” and operational lessons.
Chair moved and board agreed to table the item for a live demo, outreach to parents, and guidance from the transportation team.
Next step: staff will arrange demonstrations, solicit parent feedback and report back to the board before any contract decision.
