Virginia Beach, Va., City Public Schools (VBCPS) has entered into a three-year contract with Zum, a company specializing in modern student transportation, to deploy a cloud-based platform to improve the district’s school bus system.
Zum’s platform includes sophisticated routing software and GPS tracking which aims to optimize school bus routes, reduce student commute times, and track student’s arrival and departure from school while providing parents, drivers, schools and administrators updates in real time.
“This technology allows us to be more responsive and efficient than ever before,” James Lash, executive director of Transportation and Fleet Management Services at VBCPS, said in a statement. “With real-time tracking and dynamic routing, we are better equipped to ensure safe and on-time rides for our students, even when unexpected challenges arise.”
Families will receive instant updates on their child’s pick-up and drop-off status through Zum’s Parent App, the company said.
Administrators and operators with appropriate permissions will be able to track school buses on a live map and routes will be adjusted in real time to account for traffic delays, and absent or late students.
“Families in our division deserve top-notch student transportation, and we are excited to partner with Zum to provide an exceptional experience,” said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. “I am confident this new tool will help us continue to deliver reliable bus rides for our students and peace of mind for our parents.”
Beyond VBCPS – which includes over 63,000 students – Zum partners with over 130 school districts across the country, including through recent agreements with Boston Public Schools and the Salt Lake City School District.
“We are proud of the positive impact we are making in thousands of schools nationwide, and we will not stop until every student has a safe, reliable ride to and from school,” said Ritu Narayan, founder and CEO at Zum.