New App Tracks Fairfax County School Buses In Real Time

FAIRFAX, VA — Venturing a guess when the school bus will come is about to become easier. Fairfax County Public Schools has announced a new app allowing parents to track bus arrivals for 2019-2020 school year.

Here Comes the Bus, a free school bus tracking app, provides real-time bus locations through text or email alerts. The app uses GPS data and a customizable map to notify you when the bus will arrive. Users can see the bus distance for morning and afternoon bus stops. The app tracks the bus route rather than the student, and bus substitutions can affect the accuracy of the app.

The app will be available for use on Monday, Aug. 26, the first day of school. It can work on multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets or desktop computers. The other tool currently available is the school district's bus delay notification system.

FCPS says a pilot program was "successful" and that the communications through the app are "encrypted and secure." A Student Information System (SIS) parent account is required to download the app.

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Visit the App Store or Google Play to download the app. You'll be prompted to enter the username (email address) and password associated with your SIS parent account and the FCPS school district code—28982. For more instructions on downloading and using the app, visit the school district's Here Comes the Bus information page.