“The wheels on the bus go round and round…” You know the rest!
This first day of school in Grandview, Missouri will have lots of wheels going round and round. Last year, drivers covered some 32,000 miles on their routes, serving more than 4,000 student riders.
The number one concern is, of course, safety. That’s where the Z-Pass comes in!
The Grandview District is one of the few in Missouri using this new technology. All students were issued the small card during enrollment. They will pass the scanner getting on and off the bus with that information instantly and securely traveling to the district transportation office.
The district office will know the date, time and location any and every child jumped on and jumped off. Tonya Hollaman, Director of Transportation, says that this will give drivers and parents additional peace of mind throughout the school year.
Knowing where your child is, in this high-tech way, is wonderful but, according to Tonya, technology can only do so much. We still need to watch for the crosswalks, go slow in areas where children are present and obey the red flashing lights and stop signs on the busses.
In Grandview, they’re adding a new verse to that old song:
“The Z-Pass on the bus flashes green. Flashes green. Flashes green. The Z-Pass on the bus Flashes Green to keep all kids safe!”
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Joel Nichols can be reached at joel.nichols@kclive.tv.
