CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Technology helps us wake up in the morning, helps us plan our day and also allows us to instantly connect with thousands of people on social media.
“Ten years ago, this technology didn’t exist,” said Jared Richmond, CJ R-1 transportation director.
It makes planning bus routes and figuring out which students get off where very difficult.
“If your child is supposed to be dropped off at your house and they’re not there, mom or dad will immediately panic and try to figure out where your child is. This way we can cut down on that and make sure they know where their child is,” Richmond said.
Carl Junction school bus drivers use the “Wayfinder” app.
This is especially helpful for alternate drivers by mapping out the required route with turn-by-turn directions.
“If the driver doesn’t know the route, they can pick up the tablet and it will tell them exactly where to go and where the stops are. It will also show pictures of the kids and it will take pictures of the kids and their names so the driver knows who is actually going to get on and off the bus at that stop,” Richmond said.
With 2,200 students traveling to school by bus along more than 1,800 miles of bus routes, the app helps them every day.
“We’re not a big school, there are bigger schools around, but there are districts across the state that serve over 25,000 kids, so this is a necessity. We’re at the bottom of the list, but this makes things a lot easier,” Richmond said.
The district also uses a companion Infofinder app, which allows parents to easily see their student’s bus stop location and times.
