CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – Charlotte-Mecklenburg students are back in class this week, and a bus tracking app can help parents and teachers keep track of their children.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools launched its “Here Comes The Bus” app a few years ago, and it has grown in popularity, with more than 200,000 people in the district using the app, up from 150,000 in 2021.
The Here Comes The Bus app tracks school buses traveling to and from school and provides GPS monitors for all buses. App users can find their bus, see arrival and departure times, and receive push notifications about school bus routes.
Kanisha – a mother and local teacher who spoke to WBTV but declined to give her full name – says the app is a huge help to her and her sixth-grader. Kanisha’s child rides the bus in the morning and afternoon.
“I’m glad they’ve introduced something that saves parents from having to call the transportation center, which can sometimes get clogged up very quickly when a lot of parents use it,” Kanisha said.
Kanisha says there is still room for improvement in the bus’s accurate location and notification system, but she says the app gives her family peace of mind that their child is safe.
According to the app’s website, several school districts in the Carolinas use the “Here Comes The Bus” app. They include Mooresville Graded School District and Union County Public Schools.
In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district, the app can help reduce transportation-related stress for parents, students and teachers.
“I think all parents and students should use the app,” says Ashley Jones, the school district’s assistant director of special projects, who is also responsible for the GPS monitors on all school buses.
“We use this platform almost daily with our regional offices to send important information, such as when a bus is cancelled or a replacement bus is being used,” Jones said. “If a bus is delayed, we can send a text message or email.”
Find out more about how the bus tracking app works here.
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