Bus Route Text Updates
Submission
Date: January 29, 2015
Release
Date: For Immediate Release
Contact: J.D. Hardin, 770-957-6601 ext. 161, john.hardin@henry.k12.ga.us
(Release
# 0036-01-15)
Henry
County Schools Rolls Out Transportation Notification System
Text
updates to be sent to families of bus riders on status of arrival time
HENRY COUNTY, GA – Parents and children
looking for better opportunities to stay informed of school bus delays in Henry
County just got a new tool to help them.
The Henry County Schools transportation
department announced this week plans to provide a mobile text service that will
alert families of bus riders to any potential delays with their bus during the
morning and afternoon commutes.
Parents already signed up to receive
notifications from their child’s school are enrolled in the service. Standard
messaging rates may apply, and individuals using the program should check their
mobile phone policies regarding text messages.
If a parent does not want to receive the notification, they can contact
their child’s school or log on to the Parent Portal to cancel this service.
Regardless of weather conditions, buses in
the county can be delayed for any number of reasons. In an effort to help keep children safe, this
new system will allow them to know when they can expect their bus to arrive
more precisely. This tool will be
especially helpful on days when weather may be less than ideal.
“We still have a few bugs to work out, but
the system is working and people are letting us know when they do and do not
receive the messages,” said Cliff Shearouse, Director of Transportation.
One reason this service will be welcomed by
riders in the county centers on weather.
When it is cold or raining outside in the morning time, families
receiving notification of delayed buses can help keep kids warm or dry by
allowing them to delay their trip to wait for the bus. Students are still encouraged to be at their
bus stop 5 to 10 minutes prior to the pick-up time to ensure schedules run on-time.
“We do our best every day to keep our
schedules running smoothly,” said Shearouse, “but there are still things beyond
our control which can disrupt our patterns.
We want to make sure we keep everyone as up to speed as possible when it
comes to catching the bus.”
Shearouse said his department has been
looking for a cost-effective way to implement a notification system for a while
now, and this option provided the best way to accomplish their goal of keeping
parents and students informed.
To find out more about the system, visit www.henry.k12.ga.us and head to the
transportation page.
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