Key Takeaways
- The Cobb County School District transports over 72,000 students daily, using a fleet of 1,000+ school buses that cover approximately 68,000 miles.
- The District is introducing new transportation technology to enhance student safety, improve communication with families, and strengthen the reliability of the school bus fleet.
- The new technology combines two systems: Edulog, which focuses on family communication and student ridership, and Samsara, which prioritizes bus safety and reliability.
- The rollout of the new technology will occur in phases, ensuring a smooth transition and strong support for drivers, staff, and families.
- The new technology will provide real-time GPS tracking, improved routing and scheduling, and continuous monitoring of bus health, among other features.
Introduction to the New Transportation Technology
The Cobb County School District is committed to providing the safest and most reliable transportation for its students. To achieve this goal, the District is introducing new transportation technology designed to further enhance student safety, improve communication with families, and strengthen the reliability of the school bus fleet. This technology will be rolled out in phases, starting later in the school year, to ensure a smooth and well-coordinated transition across the District. By investing in this new technology, the District is prioritizing what matters most: getting students to and from school safely, every day.
The Two Systems Working Together
The new transportation technology brings together two systems that work behind the scenes and in the District’s app to support safety, communication, and reliability. Edulog is a system that focuses on family communication and student ridership, providing a new parent portal that replaces Here Comes the Bus. This portal will offer transportation information in one place, improved routing and scheduling to support efficient service, student ridership tracking, and time and attendance features. On the other hand, Samsara is a system that prioritizes bus safety and reliability, providing real-time GPS tracking, turn-by-turn navigation, and electronic route sheets to help drivers stay focused and informed. Additionally, Samsara will enable continuous monitoring of bus health, including engine diagnostics that alert maintenance staff to potential issues, and digital vehicle inspections that reinforce daily safety checks before buses are on the road.
Putting Safety First
Safety is a central advantage of this new technology. By providing real-time insight into bus location and vehicle health, transportation staff can respond more quickly to issues and reduce the likelihood of unexpected mechanical problems. For families, the technology provides more accurate and timely information about their students’ commutes. As the system is fully implemented, families will benefit from more reliable updates within the District’s app, helping them plan their day with greater confidence. The new technology will also enable the District to respond more quickly to issues, such as bus breakdowns or traffic congestion, and reduce the likelihood of unexpected delays or disruptions.
What Families Can Expect
As the phased rollout begins, Cobb Schools will continue to share updates and guidance with families, including details about app access and timing by route. School buses remain the safest way for students to get to and from school, and daily transportation routines will not change as this technology is introduced. The new technology will be added gradually to ensure a smooth transition and strong support for drivers and staff. Not all routes will receive the technology at the same time, but every route will continue to operate as usual. Families will be notified when the technology becomes available on their child’s route and how to access new features in the District’s app. By keeping families informed and involved throughout the rollout process, the District is committed to ensuring a seamless transition to the new technology.
Conclusion
The introduction of new transportation technology in the Cobb County School District is a significant step forward in enhancing student safety, improving communication with families, and strengthening the reliability of the school bus fleet. By combining the Edulog and Samsara systems, the District is able to provide a range of features and benefits that will improve the overall transportation experience for students and families. As the rollout of the new technology progresses, the District will continue to prioritize what matters most: getting students to and from school safely, every day. With its strong safety record and commitment to innovation, the Cobb County School District is setting a high standard for school transportation, and its students and families will reap the benefits of this new technology for years to come.
