Marietta City Schools recently implemented new transportation software.

The 2023-2024 school year is the first year Marietta City Schools is using TransACT’s Travel Tracker software, which is aimed at increasing the efficiency and safety of bus routes, according to an August press release.

The software will have an app which allows tracking and communications between the school system and parents regarding delays or issues with buses, the release said.

“We generally get around 20 calls a day from parents just wondering where bus routes are, if there are delays. This app will eventually allow them to see where their students are at and we can push out messages to the family in case of delays or emergencies,” now retired Marietta City Schools Director of Operations Darrell Prim said in the release. Marietta City Schools Superintendent Brad Silvus said if there is construction or a traffic backup, the app will allow parents to be notified that the bus is running late. On Dec. 4, parents were able to start using the app, Bus Quest, to see when their child’s bus is close for drop off and pickup and if there are any route delays, according to the district’s Facebook page. Parents need to download the Bus Quest app. They also need to register an account at https://routing.app-garden.com/mcsoh. Parents will need to have their child’s identification number to be able to link them to their account, the district said on Facebook. The Travel Tracker software is “what allows us to schedule and modify our bus routes, which can change quite frequently depending on students’ needs,” Marietta City Schools Communications Coordinator Christian Hudspeth said.

According to Silvus, the previous transportation software the district had did not have the ability to be cloud based.

As part of the software, there will be iPads on buses that will help substitute drivers and will let parents know that a bus is 10 minutes away, according to Silvus.

The software will tell substitute drivers everything they need to know including what turns to take and where the bus stops are, Prim said in the release.

Travel Tracker and Bus Quest are “about communicating easier and better with parents”, Silvus said.

Please contact Tina Gober at tgober@mariettscsdoh.org or call 740-374-6525 with any questions about Travel Tracker and Bus Quest.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com