Here Comes the Bus

Here Comes the Bus
A School Bus Tracking App for Parents

The Omaha Public Schools transportation team is happy to announce the launch of a GPS school bus tracking technology that will be available to all parents and guardians of district high school students who ride Student Transportation of America buses with bus stops. This free service will provide OPS families with the ability to track the location of their students’ bus in real-time, either on a computer or a mobile device. Participation is optional.

Tracking Features

  • Shows the real-time location of your child’s bus on a map
  • Gives scheduled and actual arrival times at home and school for bus routes
  • Provides push and email notifications when the bus is near

Sign Up Instructions for Parents:

  1. Download the "Here Comes the Bus" app or visit herecomesthebus.com
  2. Click the "Sign Up" button.
  3. Enter school code 73916 and click "Next" followed by "Confirm."
  4. Complete the "User Profile" box.
  5. Under "My Students" click "Add." Enter your child's last name and student ID number.
  6. Once you confirm your information, you're ready to begin.

 

Why is OPS using this service?

Omaha Public Schools is committed to providing the resources to advance transportation services that are reliable and safe for all district families.

The transportation team is excited to provide OPS families with the ability to track their students’ school bus in real-time and provide them with important information regarding their students’ daily transportation information.

What should parents do if they have problems using the app?

There are a number of support resources available to OPS families for the Here Comes the Bus® app. Each school has assigned a point of contact to assist parents and students with any questions or issues they experience using the app. They can call their student’s school directly for assistance.

Families may also contact Student Transportation with any questions they have using the app by filling out the Question and Comment Form.

Additionally, if you have any questions or issues related to setting up or activating the features of the app, please contact Synovia Solutions technical support at:

http://help.herecomesthebus.com/en/support/solutions/articles/22000203906-contact-support

Does the bus tracking system also track a student’s location while they are not riding the bus?

A student’s location is not being tracked by the application. Here Comes the Bus® only tracks the location of the bus.

What about my student’s privacy? Is the information on the app safe and secure?

Here Comes the Bus uses “https” in its url, just like a bank or an online store. This means that all communications between your web browser and the Here Comes the Bus® website is encrypted and secure.

One of the parents of my child does not have custody and I don’t want them to be able to see when my child’s bus is picking him/her up and dropping him/her off. Will parents without custody be able to track my child’s transportation information on this app?

There is a process available to address this in the Here Comes the Bus® set-up process. Please contact your school if your family would like to use an alternative registration process to ensure only the custodial parent has access to your child’s transportation information.

Do families have to participate in this program for their student to continue to ride the bus? Is there any cost to participate?

There is no cost associated with using Here Comes the Bus®, and participation is completely optional.

Will this GPS tracking service be available to all OPS families?

Tracking information provided through the Here Comes the Bus® app is only available to OPS families who ride Student Transportation of America buses with bus stops.

Some OPS students qualify to receive door-to-door bus transportation services from OPS. Tracking information will not be visible in the app for families who receive door-to-door transportation services.

Do I need separate Here Comes the Bus® accounts if I have more than one child eligible to use the service?

You and your children can access all the information about each child’s school bus you need using just one Here Comes the Bus® account.

What is the difference between using the mobile app and the website to track my child’s school bus?

The main difference is how you access the data. The look and feel are different on the mobile device for on-the-go use. You can use mobile and tablet apps anywhere you can use a mobile device.

Why was Here Comes the Bus® chosen by OPS?

During the last year school year, Omaha Public Schools tested applications from multiple vendors at various schools during a pilot phase. Parents and students were surveyed about their user experience with each application. Based on that feedback, Here Comes the Bus® was recommended for deployment throughout the school district.

What is the Buspass icon in the Here Comes the Bus® app and how do I use it?

“Buspass” is an additional service provided by Here Comes the Bus®; however, Omaha Public Schools is not a subscriber for this service. For OPS families, "Buspass" will be an inactive icon in the app.

How does Here Comes the Bus® work?

Here Comes the Bus® uses global positioning system (GPS) technology to locate and track your child’s school bus using software provided by Synovia Solutions.

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