District Transforms Operations and Culture With Technology

“Everyone here has learned to communicate, communicate, communicate. That's the key piece to keeping this department running smoothly,” said Brenda Boyd, director of transportation at Holland Public Schools (HPS) in Michigan. But even in a small, close-knit district that prioritizes strong communication, the process of registering for transportation can be unclear to families. “When signing up for busing, many students thought they had to reserve a ride, whether they planned to ride daily or not. The numbers we got with our old routing system were enormous,” she said. “At the start of the year, we had at least 100 students per bus, and then it dwindled down to 50 per bus. We were left wondering where all those students who signed up were.”

At the same time, Boyd recognized a shift in the expectations for her department. Parents called for increased transparency, and drivers needed support as their roles became more complex. “In the past, the role of a school bus driver was student management and to drive the bus, but this role has evolved. Now, the driver must be actively involved in the collection and accountability of data,” Boyd said. The need to update the department’s technology became apparent.

Right-Sized Tech Solutions

Operating within the city limits of Holland, Michigan, the transportation department at HPS serves 6 schools with 24 routes. “Most routing software out there was too big and complex for the size of our district. I needed something a little bit smaller and more user-friendly. Tyler Technologies’ Student Transportation software can scale to our needs,” Boyd said. They also implemented student badges, Tyler Drive tablets, and will launch the My Ride K-12 parent app to the entire district this school year.

Tyler’s Student Transportation software is web-based, which enables easy access and timely updates from anywhere. HPS’s integrated suite of tools empowers Boyd with a comprehensive portal to manage all aspects of the district’s transportation.

A Modernized Operation

Implementing student badges has transformed the accuracy of the district’s ridership data. “Getting the students to scan on and off gave me an accurate count of who was riding. Our student information system imported everyone into our routing system, and it gave me the ability to delete those extra riders who were not actually on those buses,” Boyd said. This capability to clean up ridership has eliminated the heavy summer workload that was necessary to prepare for the school year. “It was painstaking,” Boyd said, “but it’s been nothing this year, and this is the best we’ve ever started out. I am so excited to start this school year with accurate numbers.”

Tyler’s solution for parent communication has also helped HPS to provide the real-time updates parents have come to expect. Boyd said, “Our parents have a greater sense of ease when their children are with us. With My Ride K-12, they can keep track of their child's bus and know when it will arrive.” The district goes above and beyond to build parents’ confidence in their transportation operation. They created a custom video that explains how to use My Ride K-12 and the badge system, and Boyd attends school open houses to answer any routing questions — with her Tyler software as a handy visual aid.

Unexpected Outcomes

Boyd is acutely aware of the pressure placed on drivers today, beyond the already crucial role of keeping students safe. “A driver, nowadays, is not just a driver,” she said. “They're sitting in that seat with that Tyler Drive tablet, and they're collecting data — who’s on the bus, when that child gets on the bus, when the child gets off the bus.” But Boyd’s team has adapted in ways she never saw coming.

“Everyone loves Tyler Drive. Everyone loves the turn-by-turn directions. Everyone loves that they're assigned that tablet, and they do all their pre-trip sheets,” Boyd said. “But it's also brought so much teamwork. The culture of the drivers has changed with this technology.” For example, with Tyler Drive and Student Transportation software, the HPS team can see when a driver misses a stop. Without hesitation, another driver steps in to help. Boyd said, “I heard a driver say, ‘Let's all communicate, let's all work together as a team.’ And I've never heard that before. They're better supported with the technology itself, and because of that, they're able to support each other.”