SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Spokane Public School and Durham Bus Services is geared up for this winter driving season.
They have introduced new technology and equipment to make sure students reach their destination safely and parents are in the loop.
Every Durham school bus has a Z-Pass unit on it now. Students are able to get cards linked to their student ID that they scan every time they get on and off the bus.
When they scan the card the parent or guardian gets a text or email. This can be set it up through the Z-Pass App or desktop program.
Any child that rides the bus can get a card that will track their bus rides. Right now, it is not mandatory that every student who rides the bus have one.
While students can be tracked, buses can also be tracked through the Durham Bus Tracker phone app. It will show the student's bus route and give updates on where the bus is during their ride.
Each bus is assigned a number and the app tracks that number.
"Done with an asset number so it's assigned to a bus, all that does is it's a tool for the parents to see where the bus is, if it's running late, where it is in real time,” Rhonda McLellan, assistant general manager at Durham School services, said.
This can be especially helpful when the weather is bad and buses are delayed.
Durham buses will all have new chains this season. They are flatter and more durable, so they will give students a smoother ride, while also handling the slick roadways.
“It's all about the safety of the students anything that we can do to for the students to be safe and have secure transportation to and from school,” McLellan said.
Here is what families can expect when winter weather could impact the school day:
- Visual checks of outdoor weather occur during the evening and early morning hours, including driving some bus routes if weather conditions dictate a need (examples include significant snow accumulations and icy conditions)
- Durham contacts Spokane Public Schools transportation at 4:30 a.m. to review weather conditions
- The superintendent and her team make a determination by 5:30 a.m. to close school, delay the opening, or operate normally
- Communication will begin to the local media immediately upon a decision to interrupt normal school day operations
- Communication directly to families will begin at 6 a.m. when a decision is made to interrupt normal school day operations