Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Alabama SD Reduces School Bus Idle Times with New Software

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 09/25/19

Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) in Alabama recently installed Verizon Connect, a GPS fleet tracking software, that has significantly reduced school bus idling times by almost 80 percent. The new software has also helped the school district track driving behavior and maximize routes.

The upper half of a school bus is shown with the words "School Bus" printed between the headlights.

MPS first installed Verizon Connect on 80 of its white fleet maintenance and security vehicles earlier this year. At the start of the school year, the district installed it on 220 school buses and now all the district’s vehicles are equipped with the software.

“With the software, our idle time has probably gone down 70 to 80 percent from when we started. We’re probably saving anywhere between 1,500 to 2,000 miles a week in travel,” Chad Anderson, executive director of operations at MPS, told School Transportation News. “The technology helped us pinpoint the gut feelings we had and put data behind it.”

Verizon Connect gathers data and gives insight into fleets so that way customers better understand productivity, efficiency and safety. First, hardware is installed on a school bus that will communicate with the software’s application. Once logged into the software, the user can see a live map of all the school buses in their fleet in almost real-time. The software tracks the speed of a school bus, where they are headed, what route they’re on and whether the buses are idling or moving.

The software can also be integrated with another application that can provide location data to parents who want to track their children.

Anderson said the software has helped MPS ensure driver accountability, look at fuel efficiency, and ultimately save money.

“The more efficient school buses are being used, the less wear and tear on the vehicle,” Anderson said to School Transportation News. “The harsher the school buses are being used, or the more frequent use, the more likely they are going to need any sort of repair or maintenance associated with it, again, that’s another cost to the school district.”

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • golden trophies with falling confetti

    Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 New Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning is happy to announce that we’re now accepting entries for the 2026 New Product Awards! The awards program recognizes the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered particularly noteworthy.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.