Learn About The App Council Rock Hopes Will Improve Busing

NEWTOWN, PA — Council Rock officials this Thursday will present information about a bus tracking app to be tested during a pilot program in preparation for a full district roll out this spring.

During the Feb. 6 meeting of the Council Rock School District Finance Committee, Transportation Manager Matt Adams will present information on FirstView app from First Student. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. and will be held at The Chancellor Center, 30 North Chancellor Street, Newtown.

The FirstView app, which is free, will be piloted with a group of parents from each school in upcoming weeks, the district said. A full district rollout is expected the spring.

The introduction of the app follows a chaotic start to busing this school year. Throughout September, the district was plagued with significant issues surrounding transportation, including long wait times, missed pickups, unsafe bus stops, and overcrowded buses.

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Once implemented, the FirstView app will allow parents to see the location of their child's bus while in transit and to set time or mileage indicators for distance to home. You can also sign up for customizable push notification alerts. You can learn more about the app here.

The district said they have additional strategies planned to ensure a smoother start to next year from a transportation perspective. Some goals include more "proactive communication to the community and implementation of software designed to improve response time and manage customer cases," according to the district.

Thursday's meeting is open to the public. If you can't make it, you can review the presentation slides on the Council Rock YouTube Channel after the meeting.