As a new addition to the many changes at the Lower Merion Schools, GPS systems are now being added to the school buses. They were installed to give supervisors the ability to track the buses locations. The District planned to station the units just for the next few months, although if there is positive feedback from the systems, they will be permanently situated. There have been multiple noted advantages to the GPS systems that help parents, students, and staff members.

Supervisors of Lower Merion School District came up with the idea of adding GPS systems to the school buses to benefit the school. The school is able to support the parent’s questions and complaints asking where the bus is, and why it did not pick up their child at the designated time. It was reported in a KYW interview that the supervisors will now be able to identify where the bus is at any given point to help a student when they have missed the bus and must find their exact location. Officials will be able to determine when the buses are stopped, and where they are located at any time of the day. This allows supervisors to keep a closer eye on the buses. Supervisors are able to assure all parents that the buses are doing their job and taking their child safely to and from school.

Supervisors are also able to make sure that the buses are running safely and correctly. The GPS systems will alert if a bus is speeding, or goes outside a defined area. The school district will be able to track if the bus driver has made mistakes and gone above the speed limit, or even gone off route. This can almost guarantee that the student’s bus ride will be taken seriously with the student’s safety as the bus driver’s main priority.

Another priority of the district is to save money. The Main Line Times reported that although the purchase of the systems cost a total of $44,000 with a recurring cost of $23,000 a year, the GPS systems are also to be used as a money saving technique. The systems are able to track the buses idling time, which is when the buses are not moving, but still using gas. The bus drivers will be able to keep an eye on their idling time and can make sure to cut down on the gas usage by turning off the gas while not in motion. By keeping an eye on the amount of fuel that is being used, Lower Merion School District will ultimately be able to reduce their fuel costs.

The installment of the GPS systems to approximately one hundred buses of Lower Merion School District is a way to help all people of the district’s community. Students will benefit when they are uncertain of where the bus is located or if they miss their stop. They have the ability to find the exact location of the bus in order to catch the next stop so they can make it to school in time. Supervisors are able to monitor every move that the bus makes at any time of day. In addition, they can now see if the bus goes above the speed limit, or even off route and will work to save money by saving gas. With all of the advantages from the new GPS systems, hopefully all of the people within Lower Merion School District will be able to benefit.