Student Safety

District Adding GPS Bus Tracking

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 12/06/19

A Texas school system will be rolling out a bus tracking service in January, along with other safety upgrades, including security-tightened campus entrances. Magnolia Independent School District received state funds for its school safety initiatives, which will be split among two high schools and a junior high.

The high schools will implement security vestibules with roll-down gates, buzz-in doors and attendance windows, according to local reporting. Giant glass walls will separate the entrance areas from the rest of the buildings. The middle school will get a new entrance with dual-entry doors on either side of a security window, with thicker glass and buzz-in controls. That entryway will be overseen by a security guard. That entry area work is expected to cost $125,000 for the three schools.

The $140,000 bus tracking service, Versatrans My Stop from Tyler Technologies, will let administrators and track where their children's buses are located via a console or app. Besides staying on top of bus locations, the district will be able to monitor vehicle maintenance. Recently, the district consolidated its bus routes and stops, cutting out the use of seven buses. Magnolia has used transportation software from Tyler, including its routing and planning program, since 2008.