Charlotte Schools Launch 'Here Comes The Bus' GPS Tracking App

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Mornings can be tough for everyone, especially in the fall and winter when chilly temperatures make it tough to get out the door and get the day started. Parents of school children know all too well that every minute counts. If you regularly juggle the worry that your kids will miss the morning bus to school, there’s now now an app for that.

This week Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is launching its “Here Comes The Bus” real-time bus tracking app that uses GPS data to locate buses along their routes to help predict arrival times at the bus stops. According to CMS, parents can set up an alert radius, alternate stop location and can locate buses for multiple students on the same account.

The app is free to download and can be access via smartphone, computer or tablet.

“Here Comes the Bus is a valuable tool that can help parents and students manage their time. However, students should still always be present at their assigned bus stop according to their existing schedule,” Janet Thomas, CMS executive director of transportation, said in a statement.

CMS began its rollout of its new app “Here Comes The Bus” Monday for elementary grades kindergarten through eighth grade. The program will launch for middle school and high school students Wednesday, Nov. 8.

Here’s how to get started:

• Signup up here on your desktop computer
• You will need the district code (73877) and your student's ID number (contact your child's school if you don't have it) to sign up.
• For your smartphone or tablet, download the Here Comes the Bus app from the App Store or Google Play

CMS offers these tips in using the app:

• You must have your child's unique student identification number to set up the app. Due to privacy guidelines, Transportation staff will not be able to provide this number to you. If you need your student's identification number, you must contact the school.

• When entering your child's last name on the "Here comes the Bus" app, make sure you spell it exactly as it appears on your child's report cards, bus stop information, etc. If you have a hyphen in the name, make sure you include it. Only enter the first fourteen (14) characters of your child's last name. For example, if your child's last name is GETON-THEBUSTODAY, you will enter GETON-THEBUSTO in the last name field.

• The bus stop associated with your child for morning and afternoon bus service is the location you can draw the radius around; the app does not track afterschool, athletics, or any other transportation we provide.

• Please note that no bus tracking service is 100% accurate; DO NOT assume the bus isn't coming just because the app didn't notify you! If in doubt about the arrival of a bus, please call the transportation area that supports your school.
• Sometimes we make bus substitutions and this can affect the accuracy of the Here Comes the Bus App. When a bus substitution is made, the Here Comes The Bus app may not work.

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