Osceola County School District launching new program meant to improve safety for bus riders

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Osceola County School District is launching a new program meant to help keep track of students who ride the bus to and from school.

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The new Student Ridership Program will go into effect on August 10, the first day of the school year in Osceola County.

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With it, each school bus in the district will be fitted with a tablet next to the door where students will be required to scan their ID cards when they get on and off the bus.

School administrators will then be able to monitor when and where students are getting on and off the buses, making sure they’re getting to school and back home safely.

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The system will also alert bus drivers any time a student is attempting to board the wrong bus or get off at the wrong stop. That student would then require special permission from school administration to get off the bus.

Because it’s a new program, the district says students who forget their ID cards will initially still be allowed to ride the bus, but “eventually it will be required for the bus as it is for their school lunches.”

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The district says the program will also help when it comes to state funding, giving them a more accurate count of how many students actually rely on school transportation each day.

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