The St. Johns County School District is pushing to get its school buses fitted with GPS mapping technology.
The district expects the technology should be aboard about 250 school buses by October 2017.
Through GPS mapping technology, St. Johns County will be able to track in “real time” where the school buses are on the roads. The device sends data via cellular so the county can receive instant updates from the bus.
Assistant director of transportation Logan Lowery said the software is accurate within 3 feet, and notifies him when drivers flip on their lights to signal an idling bus.
“These systems allow us to find a bus within a few minutes and locate its position within about 10 seconds,” Lowery said.
St. Johns County has more than 180 buses en route and executes 5,000 stops to support close to 22,000 students twice daily. Lowery said communication is critical for timely arrivals.
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Right now, dispatch has to contact bus drivers via radio communication for their location if a parent wants to know the current whereabouts of a bus. But if a bus' electronics go out then radio communication is out.
The GPS technology has a built-in battery and Lowery said it’s a safety tool in case of an emergency, such as if communication is lost, or if a bus operator is off route.
“We will be able to have accountability of where the buses are at all times,” Lowery said.
The GPS device also pulls and transmits engine data from the engine control module.
The school board is expected to approve this safety and security measure on Sept. 12. If approved, the technology would funded through the half-cent sales tax revenue under the qualifications of safety and security for children.