The Nampa School District is joining the growing list of Idaho school districts equipping their fleet of buses with electronic check-ins and checkouts for students. Three weeks into the pilot program, every Iowa Elementary student is outfitted with their own bus card.
Rebecca Lenack, the district’s transportation manager, said, "First and foremost, the biggest reason is for the safety of the students. We want to be able to know which students are on which buses whenever there are kids on buses."
Lenack is no stranger to introducing new bus technology. Idaho News 6 previously spoke with her during her time with West Ada when they brought navigation tablets online.
In Nampa, the district tells me this is also an effort to stay ahead of state law. The State Department of Education supports software implementation after collaboration with legislative partners. The technology is capable of improving several areas of student transportation, including safety, reliability, and efficiency, and allowing the state to reimburse transportation costs more accurately.
Nampa schools are bringing the system not only for the safety of students but, also peace of mind for parents as students learn the ropes at the beginning of the year.
Rebecca said, "When kiddos are not 100% sure what buses they're supposed to be getting on. And then if they do get on the wrong bus, we can identify it quickly and rectify the situation without parents being panicked or traumatized by not knowing where their kids are at."
By the beginning of the 2026 school year, parents will be able to get a notification when their student has gotten on and off the bus.
The Idaho Department of Education sent Idaho News 6 the following statement, regarding GPS implementation, via email.
"The goal of this software implementation is to improve several aspects of student transportation in Idaho, including overall safety, reliability and efficiency. More accurate reporting of miles traveled will also ensure more accurate reimbursement for transportation costs.
For all districts – whether they are urban or rural - this would allow for data-driven decisions on routing and travel time, allowing districts to optimize routes for improved safety and efficiency, especially in areas with longer ride times.
The department supported this initiative through expert testimony and collaboration with legislative partners. The department also engaged in numerous meetings with public school transportation professionals statewide regarding the potential benefits of the program.
Work on this particular initiative will continue in the coming weeks."
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