APS, Palmer Bus Service roll out parent/guardian app

Stopfinder App Lets Parents/Guardians Track Their Children’s Bus

Austin Public Schools and Palmer Bus Service have announced that they are launching a parent/guardian app called Stopfinder, that will allow parents and guardians to accurately track their children’s school bus in real-time. The easy-to-use app is secured so only authorized users will have access to school bus information.

Stopfinder, created by the district’s routing software company, Transfinder, is free to parents and guardians and allows users to customize when they receive alerts about their children’s bus location. The app is also a two-way communication tool, providing parents with an easy way to communicate quickly with district transportation officials and receive notifications instantly.

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“We are pleased to be offering this service to parents and guardians in our district,” said Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page. “We believe Stopfinder will play a critical role in reducing anxiety because parents will be kept up to date in an instant and because parents can ask questions directly to the transportation office.”

Because Stopfinder works seamlessly with the district’s routing system, Routefinder Plus, district transportation leaders can target communications to specific regions that may only be relevant for that area. For example, if a road is closed and a bus will be late, only parents/guardians of students affected by that road closure will be contacted.

“This tool will help the transportation office become even more efficient and responsive because Stopfinder will answer that most important question parents have: ‘Where is my child’s school bus?’ said Palmer Bus Service Site Manager Trina Rios. “The ability to conduct two-way communication will strengthen the ties we have with our community.”

The district is encouraging parents and guardians to be ready on Aug. 15, to watch for an email with an invitation and instructions on how to install and use the StopFinder App on their mobile devices.

In addition to real time GeoAlert notifications showing the location of the bus and the ability to conduct two-way communication, Stopfinder also provides school bus stop and schedule information.

“Stopfinder was created with a lot of care by parents for parents,” said Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella. “Just like with everything else having to do with student transportation, we had to get this right. The expectations parents have are understandably high. We believe Stopfinder will give parents and guardians the peace of mind they crave – knowing that their children are where they are supposed to be.”

To learn more about Stopfinder, visit Stopfinder.com

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