KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
March 28, 2023
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy ISD announced the installation of Radio-Frequency Identification systems in their school buses starting this fall. The leading-edge technology allows the District and parents to monitor ridership and track students.
Photo credit: Katy ISD
Katy ISD Trustees Approved Tracking System in March Meeting
The Katy ISD Trustees approved leading-edge technology to be installed on District buses this fall that will monitor ridership and student tracking. This new Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) system is just another safety platform the District has implemented over the last five years.
Bus Riders will get a Katy ISD SMART Tag ID
Each student bus rider will have a Katy ISD SMART Tag ID card, that they will use every time they enter and exit a school bus. This will provide real-time information for bus drivers, school administrators and parents.
“The student ID cards utilize encryption and security protocols to ensure student ridership is accurately tracked and individual information is secure,” says Ted Vierling, Chief Operations Officer at Katy ISD. “The system will provide real-time bus arrival notifications for school parents and our Transportation personnel.”
Parents Can Track Students through Parent Portal
Katy parents will be able to monitor their child’s ridership and bus route through the SMART Tag Parent Web Portal, which is a Cloud-based program. The system also automates a number of reporting functions for transportation department personnel such as state rider count and mileage reports.
The installation will take place over the summer and the system will be deployed on the first day of school in August 2023. The new Smart Tag ID system will replace Katy ISD’s current Edulog Lite App, with Smart Tag taking over the work of bus tracking, while adding the functionality of student ridership.
Katy ISD has implemented several new safety platforms on bus routes over the last five years, including Global Positioning Systems and eight camera security systems. The Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) system is an added layer of security.